The new Métiers d’Art Tribute to The Celestial series features 12 references with hand-guilloché and diamond-set dials, each dedicated to a constellation and its associated zodiac sign
The enigmatic charm of the night sky is encapsulated in Vacheron Constantin’s Métiers d’Art Tribute to The Celestial series. The 12 references come in a 39mm 18K white gold case set with baguette-cut sapphires that bring out the rich blue of the dial, each one bearing a hand-guilloché illustration of one of the zodiac signs and its associated constellation highlighted by brilliant-cut diamond ‘stars’.
Given the technical and mathematical nature of timekeeping, Vacheron Constantin is naturally aligned with astronomy, and yet we also appreciate the poetic nature of astrology, with its sense of mystery and romance. Until the time of Galileo, astrology and astronomy were regarded as a single science – that of observing and analysing celestial phenomena, which is the very foundation of time measurement.
Sandrine Donguy, Product & Innovation Director of Vacheron Constantin
According to Sandrine Donguy, Vacheron Constantin’s Product & Innovation Director, the Métiers d’Art Tribute to The Celestial series brought the elements together in a different way of expressing the beauty of the night sky.
The construction of the dial itself involves eight separate steps, each integral to the next, so that none of the artisans’ work is compromised. First, the dial base, a thin disc of 18K 5N gold, is marked with the outlines of the constellations and zodiac signs. Then, a sunburst finish is applied to the entire dial and the opaline details added to the four ‘human’ signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Aquarius). Next, the hand-guillochage of the zodiac sign. The innovative technique of guilloché figurative drawing used here was developed by Vacheron Constantin’s own master guillocheur. Precision is key in order to create a multitude of hand-guilloché triangles formed of densely packed straight lines, with each triangle set at a different angle. Every zodiac sign requires approximately 16 hours to complete.
The next step is to cut out the aperture for the tourbillon. The blue colour is applied, followed by the defining of the map of each constellation, where the dial is machined to reveal the gold dial base in a tracery of fine lines. A protective varnish is then applied to the entire dial before transfer-stamping the minutes and seconds tracks and the Vacheron Constantin name; the application of the white gold indexes and the Maison’s Maltese Cross emblem; and finally, setting of the diamonds that mark the principal stars in each constellation.
The gemsetting expertise of Vacheron Constantin’s in-house métiers d’art workshop is stunningly showcased here. A total of 27 hours was spent meticulously setting a total of 96 baguette-cut blue sapphires into the bezel and onto the crown, lugs and buckle. The “floating” effect of the sapphires to form an uninterrupted circle of light round the dial was achieved through the dextrous task of channel-setting the sapphires on the bezel – a process in which the stones are held between two parallel tracks with no metal separating them.
Each Métiers d’Art Tribute to The Celestial watch bears the Poinçon de Genève, guaranteeing provenance, precision of timekeeping and the finest finishing of both functional and decorative movement components. On the dial, one will also find a heat-blued fastening screw contrasted with a hand-polished tourbillon bar and Maltese Cross-shaped tourbillon cage.
Powered by the ultra-thin self-winding tourbillon movement, Calibre 2160, the watch boasts an 80-hour power reserve. Despite having 188 parts, it is only a mere 5.65mm thick, a demonstration of Vacheron Constantin’s mastery in ultra-thin complication movements that also accomplishes aesthetic refinement. Operating at a frequency of 2.5 Hz (18,000 vibrations per hour), the hours and minutes display is complemented by the small seconds indicated by the tourbillon carriage.
In true tradition honoured by Vacheron Constantin, the movement is as much a work of art as it is a showcase of pure precision. The 22K gold peripheral oscillating weight allows an unobstructed view of the intricate finish: perlage on the mainplate, hand-bevelled bridges decorated with Côtes de Genève, circular-grained wheels, and chamfered and polished screws.
Vacheron Constantin’s quest for watchmaking excellence continues, 270 years on. The Métiers d’Art Tribute to The Celestial series embodies how the Maison combines technical expertise, fine craftsmanship and intricate finishing in perfection.
Images courtesy of Vacheron Constantin, artwork by Curatedition. All rights reserved.
Related links:
Vacheron Constantin: Tradition, Honoured and Refined
Vacheron Constantin: Poetic Simplicity
Vacheron Constantin: Jumbo Love
