Les Cabinotiers Grisaille High Jewellery – Dragon
Vacheron Constantin’s human adventure, which gives substance to artistic crafts, is enriched with Les Cabinotiers – Récits de Voyages, an imaginary horological odyssey to destinations representing the various historical stages in the expansion of the Maison. Each one-of-a-kind timepiece in the collection evokes the arts and cultures of the different continents visited by the Maison. This international expansion, which began in the early 19th century, also included China.
The emperor turned to the best European artisans, including Vacheron Constantin to rebuild his lost collection. Having begun prospecting the Chinese market in the first half of the 19th century, with business contacts documented as early as 1845, the Maison had already established a solid reputation in the country.
First green grisaille for Vacheron Constantin
Vacheron Constantin's master artisan has devised a new grisaille enamelling technique to enhance the dial of this timepiece and highlight the mythical five-clawed dragon.
A symbol of power, nobility and good fortune, this creature is always accompanied by its pearl, an emblem of wisdom.
The art of grisaille, a technique dating back to the 16th century, reveals the motif in a play of chiaroscuro, designed to endow it with special depth. This now rare technique consists of applying layers of a rare white enamel known as Limoges white to a dark enamel base. Each layer is then fired in a kiln, with the firing time precisely defined to the nearest second. Over the course of the firing, the details of the dragon take shape, gradually giving consistency to the way in which the dragon is staged with a wealth of incredibly accurate details. The enameller’s work generally ends with the application of a final layer of lapped translucent enamel to achieve an effect of brilliance and depth that brings out the contrasts in the painting.
For this piece, the Maison’s master enameller took a different approach by choosing to give a green tint to the translucent enamel applied to the initial work in Limoges white. This colouring reinforces the mythical appearance of the depiction. To accentuate the depth effect, the master enameller then used Limoges white for the final subtleties of the motif by means of successive layers fired in the kiln. Another first is the combination of grisaille enamel and gemsetting. The 40 mm case in 18K white gold is set with 146 baguette-cut diamonds on the bezel, middle and lugs (7.1 carats). The crown is adorned with a reverse-set brilliant-cut diamond. It is paired with a dark green alligator leather strap featuring a white gold pin buckle set with 16 baguette-cut diamonds.
Calibre 1120: a legendary ultra-thin movement
The Les Cabinotiers Grisaille High Jewellery – Dragon watch is distinguished by its elegant silhouette. This model with a case measuring just 8.9 mm thick benefits from the Maison’s expertise in the world of ultra-thin calibres.
While Vacheron Constantin’s first ultra-thin calibres date back to the 19th century, the Manufacture developed several movements renowned for their slenderness throughout the 20th century, in response to the comfort-related expectations of a clientele won over by wristwatches.
In 1911, for example, Vacheron Constantin’s records show three calibres with different diameters but a common thickness of 2.82 mm. This quest for thinness led to the creation of movements measuring 2.25 mm thick in 1917 and 1.88 mm in 1924. In 1955, to celebrate its bicentenary, Vacheron Constantin presented Calibre 1003, a manual-winding movement just 1.64 mm thick and at the time the thinnest ever produced.
At just 2.45 mm thick, Calibre 1120 reflects this same concern for combining technical sophistication with elegant design.
Introduced in 1968, this movement was redesigned in 2010 with an 18K gold oscillating weight shaped like a Maltese cross. It retained the same size, yer with a higher 40-hour power reserve. Bearing the prestigious Hallmark of Geneva, it was taken to the next level in terms of decoration and finishing, featuring a Côtes de Genève motif, circular graining, chamfering and straightgrained flanks. With its 144 components and a regulator operating at a rate of 19,800 vibrations per hour (2.75 Hz), this latest-generation Calibre 1120 drives the watch’s white gold leaf-shaped hands.
Les Cabinotiers Récits de Voyages series
Vacheron Constantin’s vocation has always been to perfect the art of watchmaking in Geneva while remaining open to the world. The founder’s grandson Jacques-Barthélémi Vacheron (1787-1864) was the first to criss-cross the roads of France and Italy, followed by his partner François Constantin (1788-1854), a tireless traveller who oversaw the commercial development of the Maison. He established commercial relations with Central Europe, South America, Scandinavia and Asia, during a period in time when Vacheron Constantin was also gaining a foothold in the United States and China, as well as in Brazil, Hong Kong and Cuba.
François Constantin‘s correspondence stretching over a quarter of a century paints the portrait of a Manufacture that was open to a Europe undergoing major restructuring in the aftermath of the Napoleonic Wars and the Congress of Vienna. This scope and reach continued to expand as the Vacheron Constantin name crossed borders and conquered new markets. Since that time, the very notion of travel has been inherent to the values of the Maison, an integral part of the human adventure characterising its nearly 270-year history. Following in its founders’ footsteps, the Maison offers these Récits de Voyages series as a watchmaking odyssey through the world and its wonders, applying craftsmanship and mechanical art as its means of expression.
