COVER STORY

VACHERON CONSTANTIN
The Lord of the Watchmaking Arts
Forget the floral arrangements, the landscapes and the
still-life sceneswhen it comes to the watchmaking arts,
Vacheron Constantins inventiveness knows no bounds.

REVOLUTION H 40

By sophie furley Photographer Sidney Teo Fashion Director Esther Quek

Red crystal-beaded
stretch jersey gown
with keyhole back,
Michael Kors.

REVOLUTION H 41

Metiers D'Art Les

Univers Infinis Fish
Watch in white
gold case and black
mississippiensis
alligator strap,
Vacheron Constantin.

COVER STORY

hile many watch brands

are paying tribute to
enameling,
guilloch,
engraving and gem setting
in a traditional, timehonored way, Vacheron Constantin has left
its archives aside and taken a leap forward in
time with collections that both honor and
challenge watchmaking art as we know it.
The revival of the watchmaking arts,
or mtiers dart as they have become better
known as, have gone from quasi-extinction
to a renaissance thanks to the incredible efforts
by 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 ancient savoir-faire
that goes with them, into the future, creating
collections that are in a niche of their own.
We may be a brand from the eighteenth
century, but now we are in the twenty-first
century and it is important for us to adapt
these decorative arts to the era in which we
are living. We can be both classic and
contemporary with our products, and this
is something that we would like to continue
in the future, shares Christian Selmoni,
Vacheron Constantins artistic director.

A LONG LOVE AFFAIR

Navy mulberry silk cotton
with metal fiber singlebreasted sport coat, and
black wool mulberry silk
trousers, both Gucci;
white cotton shirt, and
black silk grosgrain bow
tie, both Charvet.
White silk pocket square,
and round clear reading
glasses (both property of
RevHlution).
Metiers D'Art Les
Univers Infinis Fish Watch
in white gold case and
black mississippiensis
alligator strap, Vacheron
Constantin.

Fine watchmaking has always been

a mix between science and artmechanics,
engineers,
mathematicians,
goldsmiths,
engravers, enamellers, gem setters, and
more, have all collaborated together since
the dawn of timekeepingwhen carpenters would

COVER STORY

Red crystal-beaded
stretch jersey gown,
Michael Kors; silver
rock crystal and lilac
agate druzy earrings,
Bottega Veneta.
Metiers D'Art Les
Univers Infinis Dove
Watch in white
gold case and black
mississippiensis
alligator strap,
Vacheron Constantin.

A BREAK FROM THE PAST

What happened next took the watch world by
storm. In 2007, Vacheron Constantin decided
that the way forward would not be to reproduce
miniature paintings of portraits or the nature
scenes 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 be
reproductions of primitive tribal masks.
The masks, which are part of a collection
from the Barbier-Mueller museum in Geneva,
originated from Africa, Asia, Oceania and the
Americas and were used during important
rituals from birth to death. Like the watchmaking
arts, this primitive art was also seeing a
rise in popularity; however, a combination of
the masks and watches was a bold and daring
move, one that didnt go without a certain

risk. The response at the Salon International de

lHorlogerie was out of this world as journalists
and retailers swarmed the Vacheron Constantin
stand for the duration of the Geneva fair.
I remember in early April, just before the
SIHH, Vincent Kauffman [design director]
and I were so stressed, we suddenly became
scared that people would laugh, reminisces
Selmoni; but then I got a call from a friend
from BaselWorld [the two shows overlapped
at this time], and he told me that absolutely
everyone was talking about the Masques and
it was great.
The Masques Collection was produced over
a 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 of mtiers
dart that would take Vacheron Constantin into
new territories of time and artistic dimensions.

REVOLUTION H 43

carve the cases for clocks, goldsmiths would craft

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 Constantin
since 1755, holds a very important place in
the history of watchmaking art as it was here
that the mtiers dart were to develop and
excel. There were two main reasons for this.
The first was that in the sixteenth century
Geneva became a refuge for Protestant victims
of Catholic persecution, drawing watchmakers
and artisans to the city. The second reason was
due to the Swiss reformation, when in 1541
reforms were implemented by Jean Calvin
banning the wearing of jewels. Watches were
fortunately considered as functional objects
and 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, Geneva
became a hub for fine watchmaking. It was
here that Jean-Marc Vacheron, together with
Franois Constantin, started producing some
truly extraordinary pieces with miniature
paintings, guilloch work, jewels and more,
gaining international acclaim, which was
quite something considering this was the
eighteenth century. Timepieces were sold
to clients as far away as China, Brazil, Cuba
and the United States, and those clients fell
in love with the brands exquisitely decorated
timekeepers.
The popularity of these pieces continued
right up until the turn of the twentieth century
when the onset of the second World War led to
many manufactures adapting their production
for military timekeepers, followed by the
arrival of the quartz watch in the 1970s, which
finally put an end to the mtiers dart and the
near disappearance of certain crafts, such as
enameling and certain techniques for finishing
movements. A quarter of a century later, and
with a certain renewed interest in mechanical
watches, Vacheron Constantin, along with
other high-end brands, started to recreate
limited series of enamel dials for a small niche
of connoisseurs, and, slowly but surely, the
appreciation of the watchmaking arts grew.

COVER STORY

CLOCKWISE FROM
TOP LEFT: The fixing
of gold ribbons for
the cloisonn enamel;
engraving; filling the
cells with enamel; and
gem-setting

VISIONS OF TIME
After the Masques, Vacheron Constantins artistic
inspiration came from the Far East and the
workshops of the 350-year old Japanese lacquer
master, Zhiko. Together they created a series
of watches with the finest maki-e lacquered
dials that brought a new touch of creativity to
watchmaking.
In 2010, another partnership with the Paris
Opera House led to a sublime grand-feu enamel
collection, entitled Chagall & LOpera de Paris,
that depicted the ceiling of the famous Parisian
building that had been painted by Marc Chagall
in honor of the worlds most famous composers,
such as Mozart, Tchaikovsky and Wagner. This
unique piece is not for sale; however, 11 other
versions are being produced depicting the
composers portrayed in Chagalls legendary
painting.

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LES UNIVERS INFINIS

This year, the mtiers dart story unfolds
further in a new and pioneering direction;
this time not focusing on one particular
mtiers dart, but combining enamel, engraving,
gem setting and guilloch together. The
collection is inspired by the art of tessellation
and, in particular, the work of Dutch

artist Maurits Cornelis Escher (1898-1872).

The word tessellation comes from the
Latin word tessela and means paving stone
or tile. The technique comprises interlocking
squares that form a motif that completely cover
a surface, without leaving any gaps, much
like parquet flooring or paving stones. This
kind of design has been a source of interest
to mathematicians who often see it as a visual
illustration of abstract mathematical concepts.
Vacheron Constantin was inspired by
Eschers work and its artistic geometry and
has translated his work in a mesmerizing way.
Each timepiece in the new Les Univers Infinis
collection is created using several mtiers dart
in a harmonious way, resulting in an alliance
of aesthetics and mathematics that is graphic,
contemporary and elegant. With all of our
mtiers dart collections, we always want to
come 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 reproduce
something like this on a watch, especially with
the mix of colors and numerous decorative
arts; it was incredibly complicated.
Each mtier dart represents a different
universe that intertwines with the others with

each shade of color being carefully chosen so

that no one craft would stand out more than the
other. There are three different versions using
different designs and color schemesThe Dove,
The Fish and The Shelland each one is crafted
in a completely different way by Vacheron
Constantins team of master craftsmen.

A FLOCK OF DOVES
Having four different artisans work on
the same dial is no easy feat, as each must take
his or her turn while respecting the work of
the other three. For The Dove timepiece, the
engraver is the first to apply her craft and draw
the lines of the design, outlining the doves and
preparing the gold base for the enameller to
apply the subsequent violet enamel that will
bring the dial to life. There is no room for error
as the geometrical nature of the design can be
ruined if the outlines are not one-hundred
percent perfect.
The engraved cavities in the dial called
champs (the technique is called champlev)
will then be filled by the enameller who will
mix the colors to the perfect hue, filling some of
the champs with translucent enamel and others
with opalescent enamel to reveal the engraved
motifs below, bringing life and depth to the dial.

COVER STORY

On her
Midnight blue beaded bustier gown,
Theia from AVANA; silver rock crystal
earrings, Bottega Veneta; brown and
blue tanuki fur scarf, Louis Vuitton.
Metiers D'Art Les Univers Infinis
Shell Watch in white gold case and
black mississippiensis alligator strap,
Vacheron Constantin.
On him
Navy mulberry silk cotton with metal
fiber single-breasted sport coat, Gucci;
white cotton shirt, Charvet.

COVER STORY

A SHOAL OF FISH
For The Fish timepiece, the guillocheur will
prepare the dial with the design and waves that
form motifs that are no larger than a tenth of
a millimeter. The work is highly complex, and,
just as an indication of the complexity, it took
the guillocheur over a year to find the perfect
combination of curves and lines to create the
scales of the fish. The enameller will then apply
a fine gold wire to the dial to create the outline
and the divide between the different blue and
gray enamel colors (referred to as the cloisonn
technique). Numerous firings at temperatures
exceeding 800 degrees centigrade will be
necessary to achieve the correct shades and
intensity of color. Finally, the dial will be lapped,
polished and glazed to give it its striking finish.

SHELLS ON THE SHORE

The shells and starfish of this elegant
timepiece are created in tones of yellow on
an ochre-tinged seabed. Using the champlev
technique, the engraver will prepare the dial
for the enamellist who will add the magical
colors that will later radiate from the finished
piece. After the enamel stage, the dial will return
to the engraver who will carve the last details to
the fish and starfish for a stunning result.

NO DETAIL LEFT

UNATTENDED

There is no doubt that these dials take all

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

THE TRANSMISSION
OF PASSION

What is it about the mtiers dart that intrigues

us sothe beauty, the rebirth of ancient crafts,
the rarity? No doubt its all of these things, but
the magic of the mtiers 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 to
supporting and reviving these traditional crafts
in such a unique way has inspired the entire
watch industry and led to the creation of some
of todays most artistic timepieces, reminding
all watch lovers of the importance of the quest
for perfection and the value of time.H

On her
Black nero silk velvet bustier gown,
and silver rock crystal earrings, both
Bottega Veneta; brown and blue
raccoon fur scarf, Louis Vuitton.
On him
Black wool single-breasted sport
coat with leather lapel, Calvin Klein
Collection; white cotton shirt, black
silk grosgrain bow tie, and white silk
pocket square, all Charvet.
Metiers D'Art Les Univers Infinis
Fish Watch in white gold case and
black mississippiensis alligator strap,
Vacheron Constantin.
Fashion Stylist Marie Lee
Fashion Assistant Malavika Manay
Hair Aaron Ng from Decorum Hair & Makeup
Makeup Rina Sim using Laura Mercier
Models Veronika T. / Looque and Robert Gall / Mannequin

Next, it is the turn of the gem setter who

will set one of the doves with diamonds. Each
stone is carefully selected for its luster and
clarity to emphasize the flight 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 to
complete thus far. It is extremely rare for
a guillocheur to be the last to work on a dial,
usually he or she is the first, but for Les Univers
Infinis Dove he will meticulously apply lines
over the final picture using a guilloch machine
from the nineteenth century.

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