To mark World Animal Day (October 4), Fabergé has partnered with the Gemfields Foundation to launch the new Altruist Wilderness limited-edition watch series.

Inspired by the ‘Big Five’ of Africa, and limited to just five numbered pieces per design, this stunning watch will help to support a portfolio of wildlife conservation projects in sub-Saharan Africa, with 25 per cent of the retail price of each watch sold to be donated to the Gemfields Foundation.

Part of the Fabergé Altruist collection, these limited-edition watches pay homage to five of the most iconic wild animals in Africa: the lion, the leopard, the rhinoceros, the elephant and the Cape buffalo. Fabergé master craftsman André Martinez – a specialist in miniaturist artistic painting on watch dials – has meticulously hand-painted each dial to depict these wondrous animals. Each one features a miniature painting of one of the five animals, painstakingly applied by hand to a mother-of-pearl dial with lacquers of exceptional quality. Whilst remaining true to traditional miniature painting techniques, these lacquers also meet high manufacturing standards, including resistance to UV rays, and are environmentally friendly, biodegradable and non-toxic.

An 18k rose gold case complements each dial, with a bespoke caseback set with five responsibly sourced Gemfields Zambian emeralds, one for each animal. Emeralds were chosen as they are said to symbolise hope, growth, life, fertility and peace. Each caseback is also individually engraved with its piece number to illustrate that these are one-of-a-kind, collectible creations. Fabergé has chosen to present these watches on Alcantara straps, an Italian-made material which prides itself on being certified carbon-neutral.