Designer Christina Hembo has just launched a collection of exquisite charms and gems, turning her watches into jewellery pieces. She tells Simonne Pace that loving what she does and sharing success with her family make her tick.
Daniel Craig once again wears an impressive watch in the movie Skyfall. Bond wears the watch in the Turkey scenes together with a grey Tom Ford suit and cufflinks and Crockett and Jones Tetbury shoes.
The watch is almost the only accessory men can wear. So it’s great to see a beautiful watch on a man’s wrist
US President Barack Obama has been spotted sporting a chronograph on several important public occasions. It is said that the watch was given to him as a birthday gift by secret agents in 2007.
It’s all about image. Whether it’s simply a watch or a piece of flashy jewellery, wearing a feel-good accessory gives you a boost.
It doesn’t matter if you’re not a fashion guru, a femme fatale or a glamorous goddess.
A designer brand will make you feel like a true celebrity. Especially in this day and age, when some luxury brands tend to be quite affordable.
“The watch signals who you are,” says Danish watch designer Christina Hembo, who was in Malta last week on her third visit, this time to launch her latest collection of ticking pieces of jewellery at the opening of the 202 Jewellery outlet at Le Meridien Hotel, St Julian’s.
“The watch is almost the only accessory men can wear. So it’s great to see a watch on a man’s wrist.” For women, Hembo’s watches are “a piece of jewellery showing the time”.
Having obtained a Master’s degree in design from the University of the Arts in London, the young entrepreneur set up Christina Design London in 2002 with her husband Claus Hembo.
Designer and chief executive officer work closely together: “We do not have the same job, which is good. But, of course, we need to talk a lot about the business and take care of many things together. We are a really good team and very often we agree on a lot of decisions,” says the designer.
The couple, who moved back to Denmark from London seven years ago when Hembo got pregnant with their daughter Sophie, also have a five-year-old son Marcus.
“In 2002 we came up with the idea of making Swiss-made watches with genuine gemstones at affordable prices,” explains Hembo, who travels the world over for inspiration.
Hembo has always loved both fashion and design. Besides her passion for designing watches and jewellery, she is also keen on house design. As a young girl, she loved to design her own newspaper and then sold it to the people of her neighbourhood. She once created a small playground in her parents’ backyard and made children pay to enter.
“I always wanted to have my own business and earn my own money. Working in design is a dream come true. The fashion world is a fantastic place to work in and I enjoy looking for new and exciting things.”
In 2004, Hembo launched her first women’s collection, followed by the first men’s collection of watches in 2006. Handmade in Switzerland and designed exclusively by her, Christina Watches is a high-quality brand.
“Only the best is good enough. Gemstones are also of the best quality and cut,” she explains.
Hembo launched her long-expected jewellery line, which fits many of her watches, only two weeks ago.
The jewellery collection features a combination of leathercords, sterling silver charms and genuine gemstones.
“You can choose to wear the leathercord simply as a bracelet. There are endless possibilities with this new line, and the fun of it all is that you can dress up your Christina Watch however you like and be your own designer at the same time,” she rambles on excitedly.
Hembo’s favourite watch is a Christina Collect: “With this collection, you can design your own watch every day according to your mood. You can easily change the top case of your watch, add gemstones to it, change the strap yourself, add the T-bar system, combining watch and leathercord, and finally add the charms of your choice.
“Many women love the fact that they can change, mix and match, transforming their watch into a piece of jewellery they like.”
What makes a particular designer stand out? “There aren’t many watch designers on the market – only watch licence brands. This is why Christina Watches are so exceptional – because there is an actual person behind the brand.”
www.christinadesignlondon.com
Christina Watches are exclusively represented by 202 Jewellery.