Vacheron Constantin crafts exceptional creations

　　"The human spirit of adventure is precisely what we pursue!" This perfectly encapsulates the tireless pursuit of this Geneva-based watch manufacture over the past 10 years.

　　Chagall & l'Opéra de Paris Chagall & Paris Opera collection

　　Métiers d’Art – Chagall & l’Opéra de Paris Chagall & Paris Opera collection features distinct yet equally representative styles, embodying the art of sharing. Commemorating the painter Marc Chagall and various renowned musical composers across different eras, this collection fully demonstrates the supreme mastery of Geneva grand feu miniature enamel painting. The enamel powders used are meticulously ground into a fine dust and then mixed with oils to form various coloured enamel paints. The enamel designs are applied layer by layer using a fine brush, with each layer requiring multiple firings at high temperatures in a kiln.

　　Requiring another two years to complete, the Chagall & Paris Opera project aims to craft 15 exceptional and unique timepieces that recreate the monumental decorative mural painted by Marc Chagall on the ceiling of the Paris Opera. The first piece showcases the central core of this mural, faithfully reproducing a 200-square-metre mural onto a dial measuring just 777 square millimetres. It is quite simply a masterpiece! The remaining 14 pieces will showcase details from the prominent composer-themed sections of the ceiling mural, one of which has already been unveiled.

　　Les Masques collection

　　What cultural medium could better embody this ambitious pursuit than tribal masks? Every civilisation and every era bears the imprint of tribal masks, which perfectly interpret humanity's innate talent for creating beauty. Looking back, all of this might seem an unquestionable fact. However, reality is not quite so simple. Christian Selmoni continued: "We first began by studying customs. Then an intern from America brought us some totems. Until one day I read the book 'Man and Masks', which introduced the collections of the Barbier-Mueller Museum in Geneva."

　　Unveiled at the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie in Geneva in 2007, the "Métiers d'Art Les Masques" collection created a truly distinctive series of timepieces. The first set comprises four masks originating from Asia, the Americas, Oceania, and Africa respectively. These masks were first scanned, then miniaturised, engraved directly into solid gold, and finally given an artificial antique finish using traditional electroplating and chemical treatment methods. For instance, to achieve a verdigris effect, the engraver dusted the gold with a thin layer of copper powder before allowing it to oxidise. The effect is remarkably lifelike.

　　La Symbolique des Laques collection

　　Although Vacheron Constantin was perhaps unaware of it at the time, the human spirit of adventure mentioned by Christian Selmoni today did indeed begin during this period. Some 9700 kilometres away from Geneva, master artisans were captivated by the "Masks" collection. Founded in 1661 and headquartered in Kyoto, Japan, the renowned traditional Japanese lacquerware company Zôhiko saw its director captivated by this stunning engraving craft while also discovering a watch brand open to the world and its peoples. This inspired a bold vision to contact Vacheron Constantin and offer them traditional Japanese lacquer techniques.

　　"The first meeting took place in Paris, followed by a second in Kyoto," recalled the artistic director. The two companies soon reached an agreement. Zôhiko, the most authoritative name in the art of maki-e, would showcase its ancient craftsmanship on Vacheron Constantin creations. Literally translating to "sprinkled pictures", maki-e is a decorative technique that flourished in Japan from the 17 century onwards, involving the sprinkling of gold or silver powder onto lacquer that has not yet naturally dried.

　　Making its debut in 2010, the first set paid tribute to the aquatic world with three timepieces featuring terrapin, frog, and carp designs carefully selected from numerous oriental symbols. Building upon existing cultural bridges, the Métiers d'Art collection is also destined to serve as a bridge of communication between nations. Ancient and distant cultures are expressed artistically through Swiss watchmaking in a completely unprecedented manner.

　　Perspectives d'Art collection

　　The Métiers d’Art collection is a vibrant, ever-evolving realm of artistry that constantly reinvents itself. For the Only Watch charity auction in aid of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, Vacheron Constantin has united all the Métiers d’Art crafts onto a single dial. For the first time, engravers, guillocheurs, enamellers, and gem-setters have collaborated in succession on the same dial.

　　Inspired by the tessellation technique (also known as flat pavé), this Dove watch recreates the work of the renowned Dutch perspective artist and engraver, Maurits Cornelis Escher. A flock of doves is arranged in an orderly fashion, wings spread in flight. Christian Selmoni stated: 'We have always been looking for an opportunity to collaborate with Escher, and the Métiers d’Art collection has allowed us to realise this wish!'

　　As the saying goes, 'to err is human'. Vacheron Constantin blends its own ingenuity and traditional craftsmanship with human talent, not only presenting unique masterpieces to the world but also evoking the sense of timelessness and eternity contained within humanity's immortal works. And this is only the beginning.