The double pillars of time and journey maintain equal attract for Swiss model Vacheron Constantin, which has chosen to mark a protracted and illustrious historical past of exploring the bounds of each with a brand new assortment of watches. It’s a journey that may be traced again to the corporate’s inception within the 18th century, when founder Jean-Marc Vacheron’s grandson, Jacques-Barthélemi Vacheron, expressed a eager curiosity in increasing previous the borders of the Geneva-based firm into Europe, America, Asia and the Center East.
Aspect and entrance views of the exquisitely-produced dials of an Armillary Tourbillon and a Minute Repeater Tourbillon, each created as a tribute to the artwork deco fashion by Vacheron Constantin’s Les Cabinotiers division as a part of its Récits de Voyages assortment
(Picture credit score: Paola Dossi)
‘Vacheron Constantin is rooted in Geneva, which has ceaselessly been open to the world, being on the crossroads of cultural and financial growth,’ says Vacheron Constantin’s product advertising and marketing and innovation director Sandrine Donguy. ‘This openness to the world has pushed Vacheron Constantin to discover new markets which have been a supply of inspiration. The world of exploration, the place curiosity reigns supreme, embodies values which might be deeply rooted throughout the maison. The timepieces rising from the manufacture have constantly made their technique to the ends of the earth.’
She cites early examples, together with the 1932 world time pocket watch, which displayed the time in 31 cities across the globe, and the 1994 Mercator watch, with its extremely advanced leaping hours and dragging minutes system, to point out the horological implications of this fascination. The brand new assortment, Récits de
Voyages, which consists of one-off watches made by Vacheron Constantin’s Les Cabinotiers bespoke creation division, builds on this historical past, uniting some exquisitely-produced métiers d’artwork strategies. Impressed by a bunch of worldwide references, dial kinds embody a Haussmannian sample impressed by town of Paris, an engraving approach representing the Outdated Summer time Palace in Beijing, and an artwork deco sample impressed by the Chrysler Constructing in New York.
An intricate instance of Vacheron Constantin’s watch craft
(Picture credit score: Paola Dossi)
‘Some strategies have been utilized in a really classical method, which doesn’t imply that they don’t nonetheless require exceptional abilities,’ says Donguy. ‘These embody bas-relief engraving, chasing and guilloché on a number of circumstances and dials. The engraving strategies have been complemented with a brand new method that entails micro-sculpting and damascening extraordinarily fantastic plates lower from yellow, pink and white gold.’
Aspect and entrance views of the exquisitely-produced dials of an Armillary Tourbillon and a Minute Repeater Tourbillon, each created as a tribute to the artwork deco fashion by Vacheron Constantin’s Les Cabinotiers division as a part of its Récits de Voyages assortment
(Picture credit score: Paola Dossi)
Dials have been then assembled like a jigsaw, layering delicate and minute items of gold in a play on depth and texture. ‘In an analogous register of uncommon and noteworthy abilities, we selected to craft a dial in wooden marquetry utilizing a method impressed by cloisonné enamels,’ continues Donguy. ‘In a nutshell, the Récits de Voyages collection is one other illustration of our artisans’ artistic freedom based mostly on a mix of métiers d’artwork and strategies to spotlight Vacheron Constantin’s deep dedication to arts and cultures.’
vacheron-constantin.com
A model of this story seems within the January 2024 Subsequent Technology Concern of Wallpaper*, obtainable in print, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple Information +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* right this moment!
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