Vacheron Constantin’s new Métiers d’Art Tribute to the Animal Kingdom watches incorporate extraordinary artistic crafts
Vacheron Constantin’s newest Métiers d’Art watch collection is inspired by the unparalleled beauty of the natural world. Six animals, including a tiger and a crocodile, are portrayed on the watches’ dials utilizing six artistic crafts not commonly used in watchmaking. The brand, which was founded in 1755, is known for pushing the boundaries in watchmaking. Vacheron Constantin’s motto “Do better if possible and that is always possible,” was coined by François Constantin, one of the brand’s founding partners.
The new Métiers d’Art Tribute to the Animal Kingdom six-piece concept collection certainly ascribes to Mr. Constantin’s missive. The brand enlisted six master artisans to decorate the dials with techniques including glass sculpting and paper origami, at a miniaturized scale to fit on the watches’ dials. The new collection is part of Vacheron Constantin’s One of Not Many Crafts program.
“Vacheron Constantin’s mission is to build and innovate, constantly pushing the boundaries of Haute Horlogerie,” said Sandrine Donguy, Vacheron Constantin’s Product & Creation Director. “This is achieved by pioneering unique techniques and demonstrating unparalleled technical prowess, often integrating crafts previously unseen in watchmaking. The Maison ensures the vital transmission of centuries-old savoir-faire, while continuously exploring and mastering diverse new fields.”
Glassoctopus
An octopus swimming in the dark sea is brought to life with a miniature glass sculpture placed on a dark blue hand-guilloched dial. The sculpture, which is only 3.5mm high, was made by Italian glass artist Simone Crestani and took more than a year to develop. “This project constitutes a real turning point in my work,” Crestani said. “It forced me to develop a new technique that I had never used in twenty-five years of working with glass.”
Oraygami
Miniature paper origami manta rays mounted on brass stems appear to glide across the sea on the watch’s dial. Each manta ray is crafted of hand-colored Japanese paper by micro-origami artist Anya Midori. “I spent a long time studying photographs and videos of real rays to understand their proportions and how they move through water,” she said.
Tigerbroidery
Embroidery artist Laura Baverstock created the image of a tiger roaming through the jungle using gold embroidery, a technique that is rarely used in watchmaking. She used both white and yellow gold wires to create the subtle shading of the tiger’s face, while the grasses framing it were created by weaving in multiple shades of Japanese silk. “For me, this project perfectly embodies the balance between artistic innovation and the technical discipline of embroidery that defines my creative process,” she said.
Woodenwings
The flying falcon on the watch’s dial is created in three-dimensional wood marquetry creating a dynamic sense of movement and highlighting the textures of the bird’s wings. Twelve types of wood were carefully chosen by woodwork artist Anna Le Corno. “What fascinates me most is the dialogue with the material itself, with wood,” she said. “This project allowed me to develop an even deeper understanding of it.The more I sculpted and experimented, the more I discovered entirely new possibilities within the material.”
Feathersnake
More than 200 tiny pieces of Lophophore feathers create the effect of scales on the slithering snake’s body. Artist Julien Vermeulen created the shimmering micro-plumasserie in a painstaking process. “The smallest feather elements measured only a few tenths of a millimeter, so even breathing too heavily could send them flying,” he said. “At certain moments, I found myself almost holding my breath while placing a feather because even the beating of the heart creates tiny movements in the hands.”
Papercroc
The ambling white crocodile on the watch’s dial is crafted of expertly sculpted white cotton paper. Artist Marianne Guley combined the techniques of embossing, laser cutting and hand assembly to craft the monochromatic scene. “Cutting proved particularly difficult because natural fiber papers tend to create tiny burrs and ridges along the edges,” she said. Vacheron Constantin “connected us with specialists in ultra-precise laser cutting, allowing us to achieve the level of refinement required by haute horlogerie.”
Vacheron Constantin’s in-house automatic-winding caliber 2460 G4 powers the timepieces, and indicates the day, date, hours and minutes through four separate apertures on the dial’s periphery. This unconventional display allows the watch dial’s center to serve as a blank “canvas” for artistic expression. The color of each watch’s indicators was carefully chosen to complement the art on the dial.
The new Métiers d’Art Tribute to the Animal Kingdom timepieces represent the latest chapter of Vacheron Constantin’s continual quest to foster the future of horological craftsmanship through incubation and new approaches, according to the brand. “By inviting practices rarely associated with horology onto the watch dial, the One of not Many Crafts Programme expands the creative vocabulary of Métiers d’Art within watchmaking,” said Christian Selmoni, Vacheron Constantin’s Legacy and Style Director. “This approach has encouraged thinking beyond established categories —a form of creative incubation that opens new possibilities for artistic expression within the constraints of watchmaking.”