Crafted Beyond Compare, a look behind the scenes with the two local designers behind NESCAFÉ Gold’s exclusive competition

Xesha Timepieces and Nungu Diamonds are both 100% black-owned SA businesses that have both enjoyed international recognition and local support. They discuss their inspiration, sustainability and the SA narrative within their designs. Their collaboration with NESCAFÉ Gold is a partnership of rich artistry, ethical creation and the desire for the finer things in life. Both the premium 100% Arabica coffee and these local artisans’ wares are crafted beyond compare... 

What is your design inspiration? 

Xesha Answer: For the #CraftedBeyondCompare campaign, we tapped into our values of authenticity, honour, leadership and power, mirroring them with NESCAFÉ Gold’s carefully crafted quality coffee experience that has continuously been a top choice for decades. Our design embodies African-inspired artwork at the centre of the watch dial, always echoing African stories told through our craftsmanship. When developing the design of our bespoke timepiece, Tourbillon Infinite, we took great inspiration from the packaging and experience of the smooth, aromatic taste of NESCAFÉ Gold. We wanted to create a unique, one-of-a-kind piece inspired by the flavour-rich craft and superior quality of NESCAFÉ Gold. Tourbillon Infinite is bonded with pure gold, features a traditional pattern and is then finished with eight genuine diamonds and four gold NESCAFÉ Gold coffee beans-inspired digits.

Nungu Diamonds Answer: The main inspiration for all the pieces is taken from the NESCAFÉ logo and the coffee bean. We have made the pieces modern and wearable. They are bold in terms of the use of 18k Yellow Gold, and taking from the coffee colour, we used Cognac Diamonds. The luxurious matt finish of the NESCAFÉ bottle packaging, which is smooth and velvety, finishes off every piece. We have used an oval-shaped natural-mined diamond in the pendant, celebrating the coffee bean. This beautifully parallels Nungu Diamonds' passion for the provenance of each diamond we sell, and NESCAFÉ's devotion to sustainably sourced coffee beans.

How do you incorporate a South African narrative into your design?

Xesha Answer: The core of Xesha and every design that is birthed by the brand is about telling African stories. We incorporate the SA narrative by featuring artwork inspired by patterns and symbols in our varied cultures.

Nungu Diamonds Answer:  SA is a world-renowned diamond producer where some of the biggest, most valuable stones have been found, most notably the Cullinan Diamond — 3,106.75 carats of SA heritage and the biggest diamond found in the world. Our use of local diamonds in our designs is a celebration of SA and African heritage. We want to change the narrative of African diamonds into one that celebrates this age-old natural resource, with which our continent has been so richly endowed, as being a true part of who we are and what defines us — our gift from mother nature to us — and our gift to the world. And it all starts with understanding the true value of diamonds.

How is sustainability integrated into your design process? 

Xesha Answer: You can’t separate watchmaking and sustainability — the two go hand-in-hand. We’d like our timepieces to last decades and outlive their original owners, which is why we use environmentally friendly laser cutting and engraving methods in our design process. We believe sustainability is a primary driver of business innovation, and thus we source all materials we use in our timepieces in a sustainable manner.

Nungu Diamonds Answer: Provenance (the source of origin) is one of our key pillars. The provenance of our diamonds and the socio-economic impact of responsible diamond mining and beneficiation (cutting and polishing) is critically important to us as a business. We pride ourselves in sourcing diamonds that are responsibly mined, thereby ensuring we contribute to the positive narrative of diamonds doing good at their source of origin.

The craft and luxury of the three brands is what gives this collaboration depth and longevity, and the exclusivity of these bespoke, one-off pieces truly emphasises the individual pleasure one derives from cup of NESCAFÉ Gold .

These pieces will not be on sale anywhere and can only be won as a part of the CRAFTED BEYOND COMPARE competition. South Africans can purchase any two NESCAFÉ Gold products to stand a chance to win an iconic piece of art. Purchase any two participating NESCAFÉ Gold products, dial *120*2337# and follow the prompts.

The unattainable, brought to you by the premium coffee that is incomparable.