Pre-SIHH 2016: Vacheron Constantin

November 20, 2015

Vacheron Constantin has just announced that for the 2016 SIHH, theyll be introducing four new models into the Mtiers d'Art Fabuleux Ornements collection. The collection was first introduced two years ago as part of the larger Mtiers d'Art collection of timepieces, and basically, theyre intended as a celebration of the decorative arts of different cultures, with Ottoman architecture, Chinese embroidery, Indian manuscript, and French lace. These arts are interpreted through engraving and openworking, as well as through enameling techniques, including cloisonn and champlev, and guilloch engraving techniques.The new references use the same basic design motifs as the models introduced in 2014, but with variations in colors as well as new case materials. The movement in these watches is Vacherons caliber 1003, which was first used by Vacheron in 1955 (and which is the heart of one of their most wonderful watches). At 1.64 mm thick this movement and its variants are the thinnest conventionally constructed hand-wound movements in production and the openworked version used here C caliber 1003 SQRH2 C is an extraordinarily refined piece of work. Caliber 1003 even in its non-openworked version is an exercise in pretty radical mechanical minimalism; you wouldnt think, on analyzing it, that there was very much left in the way of metal to remove. The openworked version is almost unbelievably transparent, with the structural elements of the movement reduced to hair-fine silvery arcs connecting the various functional elements, including the mainspring, wheels, escapement, and balance. Movement dimensions are 21.1 mm x 1.64 mm overall, by the way, with the balance vibrating at 18,000 vph, and a 31-hour power reserve. The new version of the French Lace Mtiers d'Art Fabuleux Ornements watch (above) has a red-gold case, 37 mm x 8 mm, with a bezel set with 64 round-cut diamonds. The dial decoration is enamel over rose-engine applied guilloch, grand feu enamel laid over guilloch is known as flinqu enameling. ? The new version of the Chinese Embroidery Mtiers d'Art Fabuleux Ornements watch (above) has a white-gold case and diamond set bezel identical to that used for the French Lace watch. However in this case, the dial is set with green jade held in place by cells formed of thin gold wire, with sculpted mother of pearl, pink opal, and hand-engraved gold leaves and stems forming a floral decorative motif. The new Ottoman Architecture Mtiers d'Art Fabuleux Ornements watch (above) is now in white gold, with a diamond set outer bezel and engraved inner ring around the movement. The case dimensions are the same as for the other Mtiers d'Art Fabuleux Ornements watches. The dial is pink mother-of-pearl, under an openworked 18k pink-gold plate, hand-beveled and set with applied half-pearls. Finally, the new version of the Indian Manuscript Mtiers d'Art Fabuleux Ornements watch (above) has the same diamond-set bezel as the other new watches in the Mtiers d'Art Fabuleux Ornements family; the inner ring around the movement is mirror polished, and the dial C which reflects floral motifs found in Indian manuscripts C is hand-engraved, with champlev enameling (this is a technique in which shallow depressions are engraved into a metal surface, which are then filled with enamel.See the Mtiers d'Art Fabuleux Ornements Collection at Vacheron online.