Vacheron Constantin Métiers d’Art – La Symbolique des Laques

With a refreshing change from recent new watch releases featuring cutting edge composite construction materials comes a new collection from the world’s oldest manufacturer of watches, Vacheron Constantin - the Métiers d’Art La Symbolique des Laques.  

Preservation of Haute Horlogerie traditions, especially with regard to applied arts - enamelling, engraving and engine turning is an integral part of the philosophy of the Vacheron Constantin brand and a demonstration of this commitment is evident in the Métiers d’Art collections the latest of which, La Symbolique des Laques has just been unveiled.

The Symbolique des Laques will feature craftsmanship carried out outside Geneva, a first for the Métiers d’Art collection.  This will be “out-sourcing” at its most delicate, in the form of lacquer decoration carried out by the House of Zôhiko, Japan, experts in this craft since 1661.

Like its predecessor the “Les Masques” collection, La Symbolique des Laques will be a staged release, this time in a set of three new watches per year, each in a limited release of twenty for a period of three years, with each set depicting symbolic designs synonymous with Far East traditions.

A traditional Japanese lacquering technique will be used, a method which involves sprinkling gold or silver dust over still-wet lacquer, a sophisticated procedure known as “maki-e”.  The pieces in this exceptional collection will have lacquered scenes front and back framing Vacheron Constantin’s ultra-thin Calibre 1003, crafted in 14 carat white gold and appearing in its skeletonized form.

The Vacheron Constantin craftsmen were not entirely redundant on this project, the bevelling visible through the front and back sapphire crystals as expected will be of an unsurpassed quality.  Each piece will be presented in an elegantly rounded watchcase, each an individual mini masterpiece ……… and not a fragment of forged carbon in sight.