Fan said: Everything is unique
Some time ago, Fan Zhu came to Zhangyuan in Shanghai to experience the artistic charm of fine watchmaking at Vacheron Constantin's Maison 1755 Time Artist.
This time, Vacheron Constantin arranged a master class in our watchmaking workshop, and under the guidance of the watchmaker, I tried to disassemble the movement of a watch, which is exactly the same movement I was wearing, the American 1921 "Driver's Watch".
Although my hands were shaking all the time during the dismantling process, I just felt that it was too difficult, but it didn't feel too good to concentrate all my energy on one thing.
The whole process seems to be focused, everything is empty, what I feel in front of me and in my heart, only the beauty of the machine, but also let me have more emotional connection with this love watch on my hand.
Founded in 1755, Vacheron Constantin has a long history of watchmaking, one of the most legendary and romanticAttic craftsman
Legend has it that in the 18th century, Genevan watchmakers would set up their workshops in the attic of their homes, or on the highest floors of buildings in the city, in order to get better light, and use the daylight to complete the intricate conception of timepieces and the production of components.
Over time, the "attic craftsman" became synonymous with exquisiteness, exquisiteness and precision, because he often customized timepieces for the European court, and also gained a high social status, and was called "artisan aristocrat" and "artist". Jean-Marc Vacheron, founder of Vacheron Constantin, is one of them.
Christopher S. Von Ziegler's depiction of the Geneva attic craftsman.
Jean-Marc Vacheron, founder of Vacheron Constantin
In keeping with its long tradition of beauties, Vacheron Constantin also set up a dedicated attic artisan department in 2006 to create a collection of timepieces beyond imagination.
For example, in 2015"The most complicated timepiece ever"ref. 57260, equipped with 57 complications;Celestia Astronomical 3600, bringing together 23 astronomical complications on a double-sided dial, but only 8 degrees thick7 mm, it won the Best Mechanical Innovation at the 2017 Grand Prix de la Haute Horlogerie de Genève.
While customizing timepieces for our valued customers, we also "take the initiative" to select themes from the areas cherished by the Maison, and each year we present treasures that combine creativity and cutting-edge craftsmanshipEach one is unique and unique, it can be said that the expectations of cousins around the world are full.
The theme of this year's new work of the attic craftsman is called ".Récits de Voyages", officially released in the Dubai desert some time ago. This time at Maison 1755, Christian Selmoni, Vacheron Constantin's Director of Style and Heritage, introduced each of the creations.
In the process, I felt as if I had followed Mr. Fran Ois Constantin, partner of Vacheron Constantin, on a global journey to open up markets, from Geneva and Paris, to the Middle East, Asia, and finally across the ocean, to the United States in the era of Art Deco.
Not only were I attracted by the deep historical roots behind all the models, but also felt the beauty of art and the wonder of the extraordinary complications, especially the three new watches with Chinese elements"Auspicious Dragon" High Jewellery watch in grayscale enamelDomineering
"A glimpse of the resortThe Old Summer Palace, Guozijian and Confucius Temple are even more vividly restored, as if they have traveled through time.
I was particularly impressed by Christian Selmoni's presentation when he said that the creations of attic craftsmen are planned many years in advance, and now they are already planning for a new watch in 2028.
Christian Selmoni, Director of Style and Heritage at Vacheron Constantin.
For the "loft craftsmen", they sit and watch the ups and downs of the tide, never chase the trend of the moment, and only create timeless works that are not limited by the times, which is also an important reason for being favored by countless super VIPs.
Today, Fan Zhu will take you to take a look at this year'sA new masterpiece by the attic craftsmen of Les CabinotiersHow powerful, let's talk about why "attic craftsmen" can become the "home" of super VIPs all over the world to buy watches
Each piece is uniqueCustom-made for dreamers
For super VIPs, "limited editions" have been difficult to get into the eyes of the law, and their ultimate pursuit is "the unity of people and watches", and a watch exclusive to them is the ultimate in buying watches.
Since the birth of Vacheron Constantin, countless vvVIPs have asked them to customize their favorite timepieces, and the king of Egypt, the maharaja of Patiala in India, the American car tycoon Packard and other aristocratic and wealthy people are all loyal customers.
Car tycoon Packard.
Vacheron Constantin customizes the "Packard pocket watch".
Today's attic craftsmen are dedicated to such a group of people who are "looking for something unique", in their wordsThe only limit is your imagination”。It can also be said that the attic craftsman is a department that listens to stories and creates dreams for customers.
Some customers asked for a watch that only chimes on their lover's birthday, some customers wanted to get "the most complicated watch in the world", and there were also VVVIPs who asked attic craftsmen to equip their Rolls-Royce with a "car timepiece" ......
Vacheron Constantin's attic craftsmen create a "armillary sphere" tourbillon pocket watch mounted on an Amethyst shadow.
In fact, the attic craftsman himself is also a master of storytelling, and the theme series launched are particularly attractive, such as the wild nature of "Cong Ling Wild Fun" in 2018, the melodious sound of "Happy Time" in 2019, the celestial magic of "The Vast Universe" in 2021, and the mysterious ocean ...... of "Quiet Sea Realm" in 2022It always brings people into a dream world.
This year's theme".Récits de VoyagesIt is not only a "tribute journey" to trace the epic of the brand's business expansion, but also a "humanistic journey" to meet culture, customs and art from all over the world.
Like this oneLoft craftsman "Xianglong" high jewellery watch in grayscale enamel, let Fan Zhu think of the zodiac dragon watch launched at this year's watch exhibition for a second, and can't help but want to delve into the origin of Vacheron Constantin and China behind it.
Vacheron Constantin began to expand into the Chinese market as early as the first half of the 19th century, and in 1845 a batch of samples was shipped to China, from which both the Daoguang Emperor and the Tongzhi Emperor ordered pearl-encrusted enamel pocket watches. The historian Alfred Chapuis called Vacheron Constantin "Introduction of the concept of jewellery timepieces in the Chinese marketPioneers.
This history has also made Vacheron Constantin the "Emperor's Choice" of the East and the West. Correspondingly, this "auspicious dragon" won by momentum alone, the five-clawed dragon of Pan Huan is lifelike, it is the exclusive of ancient Chinese emperors, the fire beads around the dragon symbolize wisdom, and the "dragon play beads" is also a traditional Chinese auspicious pattern.
In order to create a unique layering and expressive effect, the master enamel painters of the attic craftsmen used a grayscale enamel technique that originated in the 16th century, and for the first time used a green tone in a Vacheron Constantin watch, while the dragon was depicted in Limoges white glaze, with fantastical details such as dragon whiskers, scales and claws.
The green color is deep and heavy, and the "green dragon" is also a spirit animal representing the East, adding a sense of mystery and dignity, and with 146 baguette-cut diamonds on the watch body, it is even more gorgeous.
Also pays tribute to Chinese elements, andAttic craftsman "Resorts Glimpse" watchof these two pieces. Among them, the Old Summer Palace watch, inspired by an engraving depicting the landscape of the Old Summer Palace in 1873, reproduces the grand scenery of this royal garden pavilion, as if people can see the most magnificent and beautiful "square pot beauty" in the Old Summer Palace.
The dial is made up of eight pieces of pink gold, ** and white gold, each of which is engraved and inlaid with gold and silver, and it took about 200 hours to create this dial alone.
The Confucian Temple and Guozijian, on the other hand, pay homage to Confucian culture, and are based on Emile The Rond's travelogues published in 1864.
The watch is presented on the glazed archway of Guozijian, the archway in reality is covered with yellow glazed tiles, with a royal atmosphere, and the "Yuanqiao Jiaoze" on the archway is the imperial pen of Emperor Qianlong, implying that education is endless.
These details have also been restored by Vacheron Constantin one by one, through the unique composition, and the part of the Biyong Hall behind the archway can still be vaguely seen, which is also very attentive.
Timeless aesthetics that never go out of styleCulture and generosity are all contained in it
Super VIPs have read countless watches, and the watches that can impress them must have extremely high aesthetic attainments, not only classic and timeless, but also must have a rich cultural heritage as support, which can resonate with the cultural background of the super VIPs themselves.
This oneLoft craftsman "Middle Eastern" minute repeater tourbillon watch, which is intended to trace the origins of Vacheron Constantin and the Middle East. In the early days of the brand, the Ottoman dignitaries were already patrons, and later commissioned ultra-complicated timepieces for two Egyptian kings, and the Saudi collector Armani was even the majority shareholder of Vacheron Constantin.
In the owner's view, the watch captures the essence of Islamic aesthetics, creating an abstract decorative art with geometric patterns and curved botanical motifs. Its decorative pattern is inspired by the Sheikh Zayed Mosque in Abu Dhabi, the largest mosque in the UAE.
Sheikh Zayed Mosque, Abu Dhabi.
Loft craftsman "Middle Eastern" minute repeater tourbillon watch
The Sheikh Zayed Mosque has 82 domes of different sizes, and the floors, walls, and pillars are full of arabesques made of amethysts and lapis lazuli. These are engraved by master engravers on the dial in a line engraving technique that echoes the geometric lines of the outer rim carved with an intaglio technique that takes three months to complete with an accuracy of one-tenth of a millimetre.
The whole watch is like a microcosm of Middle Eastern architectural art, presenting the artistic aesthetics that have been inherited for thousands of years with unique ingenuity, and I believe it will impress the VVVIPs who "have a piece of cloth on their heads".
This one"Art Deco" minute repeater tourbillon, it feels very modern and cool. Art Deco became popular all over the world during the "Roaring Twenty Years", and during this period, the United States had also become an important market for Vacheron Constantin, favored by Rockefeller and other wealthy families.
The dial of this watch, with its unique marquetry and champlevlevated enamel, recreates the beveled crown of the Chrysler Building in New York, built in 1930, with geometric lines like a sword piercing the clouds, a masterpiece of Art Deco.
Challenge complicationsThe ultimate romance to discover the beauty of machinery
Many of Vacheron Constantin's custom timepieces are "complications", and the attic craftsmen are constantly pushing the limits in their interactions with customers, pushing the beauty of complex machinery to new heights.
For example, in 1929, it was custom-made for King Fouad I of Egypt402833 pocket watch is a collection of split-seconds chronographs, perpetual calendars, minute repeaters, small sonneries, and large sonneriesIn 1946, Vacheron Constantin produced a timepiece containing 14 complications for his son Farouk, which took five years to complete.
And the attic craftsman's work, which can be called a "miracle skill", must be launched in 2015".The world's most complicated timepiece”ref. 57260。
Ordered by a mysterious collector, it was equipped with an unprecedented 57 complications, including unprecedented features such as the "Hebrew Calendar Display", and remains the record holder for the world's most complicated timepieces. In order to complete this work. 3 master watchmakers, it took a full 8 years, and it is said that the valuation is more than 10 million dollars.
This one from a new attic craftsman's piece"Art Deco" armillary ritual tourbillonThe 1990 calibre is inspired by Ref57260 and incorporates some of its technological developments (more recently this movement has been used to customise timepieces inlaid on Rolls-Royce dashboards).
The "dual-axis armillary ritual tourbillon" that occupies the left side of the dial gives you a romantic feeling of mechanical operation at first glance. The "armillary ceremonial tourbillon" is also one of the 57 complications of the "most complicated timepiece".
The loft craftsmen also employ a special biaxial structure, with two nested aluminium frames, each rotating at a rate of one revolution every 60 seconds, taking on the shape of a Maltese cross every 15 seconds, counteracting gravity while giving it a planetary aesthetic. Through the sapphire crystal arches and the square aperture on the side of the case, the beauty of the mechanism is revealed.
One of the four patented innovations of the 1990 calibre, the instantaneous double retrograde display on the right side of the dial allows the minute and hour hands to be retrograde at noon and midnight each day.
Bringing together master craftsmenA work of art accumulated over time
In addition to the skilled watchmakers, the attic artisans also bring together masters in various fields such as machine engraving, enamel and gem-setting, passing on ancient techniques that are on the verge of being lost, and each year the creations are rare works of art.
Take the engraving process as an example, this year'sAttic craftsman "Resorts Glimpse" watchIt takes at least 200 hours to make each dial.
Fan Zhu liked this one very muchAngkor City Gate watch。The motif is based on the southern gate of Angkor Thom depicted by Louis Delaporte. Dating back to the 12th century, the gate is detailed in the Chenla Wind and Soil Chronicle, where the four-faced Buddha is carved on the tower modeled after King Jayavarman VII of Angkor, and is guarded by elephants.
According to ancient records, the large stone Buddha on the city gate is "placed in the middle and decorated with gold", and this time the attic craftsman's watch is made of pink gold to create the main body of the city gate, and this scene is restored.
The Buddha's head, city gate, and elephant body are not only full of details, but also their shapes are mostly irregular, with nine hand-carved gold sheets, each of which looks like a painting on an extremely thin "canvas". The thickness of the sheet is only 04 to 08 mm, the engraving depth must be controlled at 01 to 02 mm, also only a master craftsman can do it perfectly.
Gold and silver inlays are also used to depict the shape of the canopy. In the heart of Fan Zhu, this is also the one that can best show the master's craftsmanship.
In addition, this one"Haussmann Style" Maltese Skeleton Tourbillon, which also shows the amazing carving process, which took 150 hours to complete.
The watch pays homage to the expansion of Paris under the auspices of Baron Haussmann during the reign of Napoleon III, and the carved decoration of the case is inspired by the "Haussmann architecture", and the whole watch is like a glimpse of Paris at that time.
In the middle of the case, a majestic lion is carved in embossing, which in Western culture represents "strength and nobility", and is also a common urban symbol of the renovated Paris, which also reminds the owner of the sculpture on the Fountain of Molière. The surrounding relief friezes are reminiscent of the patterns on the balconies of the Hausmann building.
The majesty of the male lion depends on the superb skill of the master craftsman, and the thickness of the male lion is only 04 mm, not only the depth of each knife must be extremely accurate, but also the polishing and grinding must be extremely careful. The chiaroscuro effect of the decorative pattern is also highlighted by the master's little hand knocking.
The movement is also hand-carved by master engravers, and its decorative motifs, reminiscent of the metal structure of the Eiffel Tower, leave a castle on a watch, and the pattern of the attic craftsmen can be seen.
Well, that's it for the new watch that Vacheron Constantin's attic craftsmen have launched this year. In the owner's view, the strength of the attic craftsmen lies not only in the inheritance of skills, but also in the spirit of constantly challenging the impossible, and they also use their works to tell us that watches can actually be more beautiful and beyond imagination.
So, what's your favorite attic craftsman's piece?Welcome to discuss in the comment area.