The Olwen Collection
SOME STORIES ONLY SURFACE WHEN THEY ARE MOST NEEDED.
THE TALE OF CULHWCH AND OLWEN
Culhwch was a young Prince in Arthurian Wales, cousin to the great King Arthur. When his father remarried after the death of his mother, his new stepmother laid a prophecy upon him. He may never love another but Olwen, daughter of the Giant King.
Culhwch rode to Arthur’s Court and asked for his cousin’s aid in finding Olwen. Arthur’s knights searched the land for the maiden. A year passed, and still, they did not find her. Culhwch grew desperate, and one night he rode out with a selection of Arthur’s greatest knights to search for her himself.
They came across a shepherd, who claimed to tend to the sheep of the Giant King. He agreed to introduce them to Olwen.
When Culhwch saw Olwen, he was struck by her beauty. She was stunningly pale, with golden hair, and rosy cheeks. Her eyes were the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen. Wherever she stepped, four white trefoils would grow.
02
Culhwch immediately asked her for her hand, but her father, the Giant King, had been told that he would only live for as long as Olwen remained unmarried. So, he had kept her away from any engagement for fear of his own death.
In the morning, Culhwch and Arthur’s knights rode to the Giant King’s castle, where Culhwch asked for Olwen’s hand in marriage once again.
They stayed at the castle for three days. During which the Giant King tried three times to kill them, but the knights managed to outsmart him every time. When he realized that Culhwch would not leave without Olwen, he set the young Prince 40 impossible tasks.
03
With Arthur’s help, Culhwch set about completing the tasks. With all of their cunning, they tracked down hidden men, killed fantastic beasts, and commanded the animals of the land to do their bidding.
When all was complete, Culhwch rode back to the Giant King’s Castle. The Giant King was so moved by Culhwch’s love for Olwen in the face of the impossible that he blessed the union of Culhwch and Olwen.
And thus, Olwen and Culhwch were married, and wherever Olwen trod, white trefoils grew in her wake.
THE OLWEN IS THE CENTER OF THE COLLECTION, SYMBOLIZING THE WONDROUS TALE OF CULHWCH AND OLWEN THROUGH ART AND EXQUISITE CRAFTMANSHIP.
The plants that flourish in Olwen’s wake adorn the dial of this piece, and are hand-painted in enamel, as is a recognizable trait of Mermillon timepieces.
White gold creates a slim and delicate case, which in exceptional instances can be set with diamonds. The materials used to make the Olwen watch, as with all Mermillon watches, are ethically sourced.
The origin of the materials must be as virtuous as Olwen herself.
MATERIALS
Enamel and Mother of Pearl
Optionally Set with Diamonds
Sapphire crystal
THE OLWEN DIAL
The dial of every Olwen timepiece has been hand enamelled – a long-forgotten skill by many watchmakers and jewellers, but one that Mermillon has helped to keep alive through the ages.It’s a delicate process, from the mixing of the colours to the steady hand required for each brushstroke.
The enamel is paired with mother of pearl, which between them serve to adorn the dial with the delicate leaves that are said to grow in every footstep left by the virtuous Olwen.