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V ACHERON C ONSTANTIN

Forget the oral arrangements, the landscapes and the still-life sceneswhen it comes to the watchmaking arts,

Vacheron Constantins inventiveness knows no bounds.

The Lord of the Watchmaking Arts

COVER STORY

BYSOPHIE FURLEY PHOTOGRAPHER SIDNEY TEO FASHION DIRECTOR ESTHER QUEK

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Red crystal-beadedstretch jersey gownwith keyhole back,Michael Kors .

Metiers D'Art LesUnivers Innis FishWatch in whitegold case and blackmississippiensisalligator strap,Vacheron Constantin .

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hile many watch brandsare paying tribute to

enameling, guilloch,engraving and gem settingin a traditional, time-

honored way, Vacheron Constantin has leftits archives aside and taken a leap forward in time with collections that both honor andchallenge watchmaking art as we know it.

The revival of the watchmaking arts,or mtiers dart as they have become betterknown as, have gone from quasi-extinction to a renaissance thanks to the incredible effortsby the Swiss watchmakers to rekindle part of their artistic history. But instead of reliving the past, Vacheron Constantin has propelled these arts, with all the ancientsavoir-faire that goes with them, into the future, creatingcollections that are in a niche of their own.

We may be a brand from the eighteenthcentury, but now we are in the twenty-rstcentury and it is important for us to adapt these decorative arts to the era in which weare living. We can be both classic andcontemporary with our products, and thisis something that we would like to continuein the future, shares Christian Selmoni, Vacheron Constantins artistic director.

A LONG LOVE AFFAIRFine watchmaking has always beena mix between science and artmechanics,engineers, mathematicians, goldsmiths,engravers, enamellers, gem setters, andmore, have all collaborated together since the dawn of timekeepingwhen carpenters would

COVER STORY

Navy mulberry silk cottonwith metal ber single-breasted sport coat, andblack wool mulberry silktrousers, both Gucci ;white cotton shirt, andblack silk grosgrain bowtie, both Charvet .

White silk pocket square,and round clear readingglasses (both property ofREVH LUTION).

Metiers D'Art Les

Univers Innis Fish Watchin white gold case andblack mississippiensisalligator strap, VacheronConstantin .

W

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carve the cases for clocks, goldsmiths wouldcraft the cases of pocket watches, and watchmakers would engrave their movements. The artistic

side of a timepiece was as important back then as it is today.

Geneva, the home of Vacheron Constantinsince 1755, holds a very important place in the history of watchmaking art as it was here that the mtiers dart were to develop andexcel. There were two main reasons for this.The rst was that in the sixteenth centuryGeneva became a refuge for Protestant victimsof Catholic persecution, drawing watchmakersand artisans to the city. The second reason wasdue to the Swiss reformation, when in 1541reforms were implemented by Jean Calvinbanning the wearing of jewels. Watches werefortunately considered as functional objectsand spared from the Calvinist prohibition, so the artisans of the day turned their hands to the craft of watch decoration to perpetuate their work.

Over the following centuries, Genevabecame a hub for fine watchmaking. It washere that Jean-Marc Vacheron, together withFranois Constantin, started producing some truly extraordinary pieces with miniatu repaintings, guilloch work, jewels and more,gaining international acclaim, which wasquite something considering this was theeighteenth century. Timepieces were sold to clients as far away as China, Brazil, Cubaand the United States, and those clients fellin love with the brands exquisitely decorated timekeepers.

The popularity of these pieces continuedright up until the turn of the twentieth century when the onset of the second World War led tomany manufactures adapting their productionfor military timekeepers, followed by the

arrival of the quartz watch in the 1970s, whichnally put an end to themtiers dartand thenear disappearance of certain crafts, such asenameling and certain techniques for nishingmovements. A quarter of a century later, and with a certain renewed interest in mechanical watches, Vacheron Constantin, along withother high-end brands, started to recreate limited series of enamel dials for a small nicheof connoisseurs, and, slowly but surely, theappreciation of the watchmaking arts grew.

A BREAK FROM THE PAST What happened next took the watch world bystorm. In 2007, Vacheron Constantin decided that the way forward would not be to reproduceminiature paintings of portraits or the naturescenes that had been so popular in the past,but to take the decorative arts to a whole new level, calling upon a network of artisans to

produce three-dimensional dials that would bereproductions of primitive tribal masks.

The masks, which are part of a collectionfrom the Barbier-Mueller museum in Geneva,originated from Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Americas and were used during importantrituals from birth to death. Like the watchmakingarts, this primitive art was also seeing arise in popularity; however, a combination of the masks and watches was a bold and daringmove, one that didnt go without a certain

risk. The response at theSalon International delHorlogerie was out of this world as journalistsand retailers swarmed the Vacheron Constantinstand for the duration of the Geneva fair.I remember in early April, just before theSIHH, Vincent Kauffman [design director]and I were so stressed, we suddenly becamescared that people would laugh, reminisces

Selmoni; but then I got a call from a friendfrom BaselWorld [the two shows overlappedat this time], and he told me that absolutelyeveryone was talking about the Masques andit was great.

The Masques Collection was produced overa period of three years in three sets of four timepieces, and each sold as a complete set.This was the start of a new generation ofmtiersdart that would take Vacheron Constantin intonew territories of time and artistic dimensions.

Red crystal-beadedstretch jersey gown,Michael Kors; silverrock crystal and lilacagate druzy earrings,Bottega Veneta .

Metiers D'Art LesUnivers Innis DoveWatch in whitegold case and blackmississippiensisalligator strap,Vacheron Constantin .

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V ISIONS OF TIME After the Masques, Vacheron Constantins artisticinspiration came from the Far East and the workshops of the 350-year old Japanese lacquermaster, Zhiko. Together they created a seriesof watches with the nestmaki-e lacquereddials that brought a new touch of creativity to watchmaking.

In 2010, another partnership with the ParisOpera House led to a sublime grand-feuenamelcollection, entitled Chagall & LOpera de Paris, that depicted the ceiling of the famous Parisianbuilding that had been painted by Marc Chagallin honor of the worlds most famous composers,such as Mozart, Tchaikovsky and Wagner. Thisunique piece is not for sale; however, 11 other versions are being produced depicting the

composers portrayed in Chagalls legendarypainting.

L ES UNIVERS INFINISThis year, the mtiers dart story unfoldsfurther in a new and pioneering direction; this time not focusing on one particularmtiers dart , but combining enamel, engraving,gem setting and guilloch together. Thecollection is inspired by the art of tessellationand, in particular, the work of Dutch

artist Maurits Cornelis Escher (1898-1872).The word tessellation comes from the

Latin word tessela and means paving stoneor tile. The technique comprises interlockingsquares that form a motif that completely covera surface, without leaving any gaps, much like parquet ooring or paving stones. Thiskind of design has been a source of interest to mathematicians who often see it as a visualillustration of abstract mathematical concepts.

Vacheron Constantin was inspired byEschers work and its artistic geometry andhas translated his work in a mesmerizing way.Each timepiece in the new Les Univers Innis collection is created using severalmtiers dart in a harmonious way, resulting in an allianceof aesthetics and mathematics that is graphic,

contemporary and elegant. With all of ourmtiers dart collections, we always want tocome up with a concept behind a beautiful watch, explains Selmoni. We really wanted to create a dial based on Eschers work, even though it was a huge challenge to reproducesomething like this on a watch, especially with the mix of colors and numerous decorativearts; it was incredibly complicated.

Each mtier dart represents a differentuniverse that intertwines with the others with

each shade of color being carefully chosen so that no one craft would stand out more than theother. There are three different versions usingdifferent designs and color schemesThe Dove,The Fishand The Shell and each one is craftedin a completely different way by VacheronConstantins team of master craftsmen.

A FLOCK OF DOVESHaving four different artisans work on the same dial is no easy feat, as each must takehis or her turn while respecting the work of the other three. ForThe Dove timepiece, theengraver is the rst to apply her craft and draw the lines of the design, outlining the doves andpreparing the gold base for the enameller toapply the subsequent violet enamel that will

bring the dial to life. There is no room for erroras the geometrical nature of the design can beruined if the outlines are not one-hundredpercent perfect.

The engraved cavities in the dial calledchamps (the technique is calledchamplev ) will then be lled by the enameller who willmix the colors to the perfect hue, lling some of the champs with translucent enamel and others with opalescent enamel to reveal the engravedmotifs below, bringing life and depth to the dial.

CLOCKWISE FROMTOP LEFT: The xingof gold ribbons forthe cloisonn enamel;engraving; lling thecells with enamel; andgem-setting

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On herMidnight blue beaded bustier gown,Theia from AVANA; silver rock crystalearrings, Bottega Veneta ; brown andblue tanuki fur scarf, Louis Vuitton .

Metiers D'Art Les Univers InnisShell Watch in white gold case andblack mississippiensis alligator strap,Vacheron Constantin .

On himNavy mulberry silk cotton with metalber single-breasted sport coat, Gucci ;white cotton shirt, Charvet .

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On herBlack nero silk velvet bustier gown,and silver rock crystal earrings, bothBottega Veneta ; brown and blueraccoon fur scarf, Louis Vuitton .

On himBlack wool single-breasted sportcoat with leather lapel, Calvin KleinCollection ; white cotton shirt, blacksilk grosgrain bow tie, and white silkpocket square, all Charvet .

Metiers D'Art Les Univers InnisFish Watch in white gold case andblack mississippiensis alligator strap,Vacheron Constantin .

Next, it is the turn of the gem setter who will set one of the doves with diamonds. Eachstone is carefully selected for its luster and

clarity to emphasize the ight of the bird as the diamonds catch the light.

Lastly, the guillocheur will apply his craft with the most extreme caution so as not to damage the dial that has taken numerous days tocomplete thus far. It is extremely rare fora guillocheur to be the last to work on a dial,usually he or she is the rst, but for Les UniversInnis Dove he will meticulously apply linesover the nal picture using a guilloch machinefrom the nineteenth century.

A SHOAL OF FISH

For The Fish timepiece, the guillocheur willprepare the dial with the design and waves thatform motifs that are no larger than a tenth ofa millimeter. The work is highly complex, and, just as an indication of the complexity, it took the guillocheur over a year to nd the perfectcombination of curves and lines to create thescales of the sh. The enameller will then applya ne gold wire to the dial to create the outlineand the divide between the different blue andgray enamel colors (referred to as thecloisonn technique). Numerous rings at temperaturesexceeding 800 degrees centigrade will benecessary to achieve the correct shades andintensity of color. Finally, the dial will be lapped,polished and glazed to give it its striking nish.

S HELLS ON THE SHOREThe shells and starsh of this elegant timepiece are created in tones of yellow onan ochre-tinged seabed. Using thechamplev technique, the engraver will prepare the dialfor the enamellist who will add the magicalcolors that will later radiate from the nished

piece. After the enamel stage, the dial will return to the engraver who will carve the last details to the sh and starsh for a stunning result.

N O DETAIL LEFTUNATTENDEDThere is no doubt that these dials take all

the attention away from the rest of the watches,but it is thanks to Vacheron Constantins masteryof watchmaking in all its forms that Les UniversInnis are able to radiate. Firstly, note the white gold case with its slender bezel revealinga large opening for the dial to shine. Secondly, the hands are skeletonized to allow a readingof the time without blocking the wonderful view beneath. And lastly, the automatic movement(Caliber 2460) has been entirely developedand produced in-house to the high standardsof the Poinon de Genve, making this piecea work of art through and through.

T HE TRANSMISSIONOF PASSION What is it about themtiers dart that intriguesus sothe beauty, the rebirth of ancient crafts, the rarity? No doubt its all of these things, but the magic of themtiers dart also comes from the connection between people and cultures.Today, artists who meticulously craft these timepieces leave a part of their soul in each watch.It is the magic of their hands that touches us whether we live in Beijing, Italy or Kazakhstan.

Vacheron Constantins commitment tosupporting and reviving these traditional craftsin such a unique way has inspired the entire watch industry and led to the creation of someof todays most artistic timepieces, remindingall watch lovers of the importance of the questfor perfection and the value of time.H

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