Four pieces inviting you to celebrate ornamental beauties of the world making you travel with French Lace, Chinese Embroidery, Indian Manuscript or Ottoman architecture. Presenting the new Métiers d’Art Fabuleux Ornements as a pre-SIHH launch makes Vacheron Constantin a story-teller on watch dials recalling the delicacy and beauty that each culture is capable of coming out with.
On the verge of starting the 26th edition of the SIHH (Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie) in Geneva- Vacheron Constantin thought about subliming the feminine wrist.
The Métiers d’Art Fabuleux Ornements collection is a delightful invitation to explore the eclectic beauty of the world inspired from the decorative arts of several cultures. Two years after its original launch, the collection unveils four new models to celebrate the artistic genius of the Hallmark of Geneva.
Ten different master artisans have provided their unique interpretations of the Ottoman architecture, Chinese embroidery, Indian manuscripts and French lacework within open-work dials of watch cases. These timepieces are set with an ethereal hand-engraved movement: with an ultra-thin Vacheron Constantin 1003 caliber in 18K gold. The finesse of the front-facing décor is intricately precise. The back of the piece shows that Vacheron Constantin has opted for an exclusively chamfered and hand-drawn finish for a refined look.
The variety of styles expresses the traditional artisany at pivotal moments of different cultures. To highlight this exceptional centuries-old know-how, the Métier d’art Fabuleux Ornements Indian Manuscript piece is created from a combination of Grand Feu champlevé enameling and hand-engraving techniques.
The Ottoman architecture timepiece is defined by hand chamfering, a purple mother-of-pearl base and a gold grid-work studded with half-pearl beads. The French lace model is adorned with a translucent hand-guilloché Grand Feu enameled dial. The base of the gold dial is clad with a guilloche motif, lending subtle depth to the transparent enamel and set with garnet-colored sapphires and diamonds.
Chinese embroidery is crafted in white gold according to the stone-cloisonné technique with jade. The dial is sculpted from mother-of-pearl and features a pink opal-shaped according to the glyptic art and complimented by hand engraved gold leaves and pistils.
For 260 years, the brand has consistently enhanced the beauty of its creations through artistic crafts. Hand engraving is one such technique. A demanding art calling for exceptional patience and dexterity, used right as a means of achieving ethereal lightness.
The first watch created by Jean-Marc Vacheron in 1755 featured an openworked and engraved balance-cock. A master in the practice of this extremely intricate discipline, Vacheron Constantin has given free rein to his creativity, progressively incorporating the technique in both simple and complicated calibers, associating them according to his inspiration from other crafts.
