How do you respectfully honour another culture’s design legacy? Well, you call in the experts to make sure you get it right.
Which is exactly what the Swiss marque Vacheron Constantin have done for their latest Métiers d’Art Tribute to Traditional Symbols collection.
The set of four limited edition watches feature two interpretations of the “Seawater Cliff”, a famed Chinese motif that dates back to the Ming dynasty and was officially named under Emperor Wanli. VC artisans worked with the Former Associate Research Librarian of the Palace Museum, Mr Song, whose speciality field of study is the cultural tradition of Imperial China, to create dials that emulate a motif found on court buildings, furniture, porcelain, and most famously, Imperial dragon robes.
The Eternal Flow design is made via an originally Chinese technique called Jintai Blue, a form of cloisonné enamelling, which depicts mountain peaks caressed by tidal waves and set against a starry sky.
220 gold wires were used to delineate each part of the motif, taking over 50 hours to complete. Layers of enamel are then placed—how many is dependent on its colour and intensity—and it's fired in a kiln in between each coating. A polish and then an enamel coating is placed to enhance the final product.
The second design option, Moonlight Slivers, has a depth effect on a monochrome base. With hollowed waves, blue enamelled parts and raised diamonds set against a 18K white or pink gold (depending on which you choose) model, this style is a slightly more subtle option compared to the former.
It also uses enamel techniques, while the waves in the background are engraved into the dial to create volutes. Each sea tide is delicately hand-set with diamonds to evoke the moon slivers that inspired the name of this piece.
Behind the dial, the watches are powered by an in-house calibre 2460 with a 40-hour power reserve. The 22K gold rotor echoes the symbolism of the dial, since the oscillating weight is delicately engraved with a motif recalling the movement of waves and tides.
Originally published on Esquire UK
About six months into Vacheron Constantin’s newly forged artistic and cultural alliance with New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met), the two organisations present the “Masterpiece on your Wrist” project. This is the first of many projects that are dedicated to safeguarding and passing on knowledge and expertise. This one is extra special because now you can wear a literal masterpiece on your wrist.
While the program is a unique offering, wearing a piece of art isn't new to Vacheron Constantin. The brand produced something similar with its partnership with The Louvre in 2019. The bespoke program, “Masterpiece on your Wrist”, revolves around two touch points:
The partnership with The MET brings many iconic and beloved artworks from the famed American museum into the program catalogue. Masterpieces such as "Wheat Field with Cypresses" by Vincent van Gogh; "Bridge over a Pond of Water Lilies" by Claude Monet; "Northeaster" by Winslow Homer and even, sculptures such as "Diana" by Augustus Saint-Gaudens were chosen and brought to life by Vacheron Constantin’s revered Métiers d’Art department.
Celebrating decorative techniques applied in watchmaking, watches in the Métiers d’Art collection are enhanced by the maison’s master artisans. These experts of the clock, whose technicity and artistry are passed down from generation to generation. Here, a client’s selected artwork is faithfully reproduced in Miniature Enamel Painting or Grisaille Enamel. The former involves meticulously hand-painting intricate artwork onto a base layer of baked enamel. Paint is applied in thin layers of individual colours and fixed through successive firings in a kiln. After completion, the artisan seals the painting with a transparent enamel flux, enhancing its brilliance and depth. Miniature enamel painting stands out for its ability to replicate dramatic details, movement, and vibrant colours. This makes it ideal to imitate brushstrokes and impasto effects of Vincent van Gogh, Claude Monet and Winslow Homer’s paintings.
On the flip side, grisaille enamelling is favoured for its unparalleled ability to evoke depth, luminosity, and dimensionality. Thanks to the predominant monochromatic guise and shading, it excels in creating the illusion of sculptural relief. Master artisans begin with a typically dark or black enamel base before translucent layers of Limoges white enamel are overlaid to create a spectrum of grey tones. As the layers build up, a chiaroscuro effect simulating the interplay of light and shadow on three-dimensional forms comes to life. You'll see this effect for Augustus Saint-Gaudens’ Diana sculpture.
Commissioning clients will enjoy a private tour of The MET alongside its experts and curators, during which a masterwork of choice will be selected. A trip to Vacheron Constantin’s Plan-les-Ouates headquarters beckons next as clients get to meet master watchmakers and artisans who will craft the project before the experience culminates in the bespoke timepiece.
Beyond selecting the watch’s aesthetics, clients are also given free rein in the calibre selection. Three of Vacheron Constantin’s finest movements are available. They are the Calibre 2755 TMR with a minute repeater, power reserve, tourbillon, hours, minutes and small seconds on tourbillon; calibre 1731 with minute repeater, hours and minutes or the three-handed calibre 2460 SC hours with all bearing the prestigious Poinçon de Genève.
Apart from “Masterpiece on your Wrist”, Vacheron Constantin and The MET will continue a series of joint projects. These are designed to showcase their respective rich heritages and ability to keep cultural legacies alive for future generations.
