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Timeless dedication
A SECRET, SILENT YET ELOQUENT LANGUAGE limetre diameter. The craftsmanship which Vacheron Constantin lavishes on creating mechanisms that are both technically perfect and aesthetically flawless can also be seen in the baseplate, bridges, and other components, all the surfaces of which (including those that are not visible) are bevelled and decorated by hand. Yet it is in the decoration of the Florilège dials that the talent of Vacheron Constantin’s master craftsmen expresses itself with all its breathtakingly evocative and descriptive force. Descriptive, because the craftsmen have reproduced the flowers down to the finest details. And evocative, because the guilloché engravings, that enhance the designs, colours and enamels, instantly conjure up an ideal world of beauty with their stunning intensity. The same incomparable desire for perfection which prompted Thornton himself to publish a work intended to surpass all other botanical plates produced until then. Guillochage, a technique and an art requiring a mastery possessed by a mere handful of talented craftsmen, plays a crucial role on the watch dials: the master guillocheur creates an expanding symmetrical pattern by cutting lines one tenth of a millimetre apart. On these imperceptible yet highly precise lines, enameller Anita Porchet (an independent artist specialising in miniature painting on Grand Feu cloisonné enamels, to whose expertise Vacheron Constantin entrusted this special work) then marks out the patterns
in thin enclosures of gold, that separate the different fields of coloured enamels. The result is outstanding: the cloisonné technique allows for a richness of form and colour which is unique. Only a few craftsmen truly master the art of Grand Feu: in fact, it takes a very steady hand and a talent trained through years of dedicated work to apply the enamel coatings, that are fired to perfection at temperatures of almost 800° C, and to repeat this operation as many times as needed to intensify the colours and obtain the play of light through the translucent materials. The final step, that is no less demanding than the previous ones, is called glaçage: in order to glaze and polish the surface, a final coat of enamel is applied. The last firing produces a glossy shine that defines and highlights the floral pattern. Bestowed with the exclusive Hallmark of Geneva, a guarantee of quality that certifies the product’s workmanship and skill, the Métiers d’Art Florilège watches bear witness to the sensitive and vigorous care with which Vacheron Constantin promotes, protects and showcases the skill of its matîres d’art: thanks to the creation of these magnificent works of outstanding craftsmanship, time-honoured techniques have found a new and contemporary application, and the secret, invincible power of the smiling goddess Flora can triumph in the hearts of today’s women. If Thornton’s ambition was to achieve a supreme level of perfection, then Vacheron Constantin has fulfilled his desire.
A GODDESS WHO SPEAKS TO WOMEN Top, the three Florilège watches from the Métier d’Art collection produced by Vacheron Constantin in a limited series of 20 pieces: White Lily, Queen and China Limodoron. All the models have an 18K white gold case with a 37 mm diameter. Opposite page, detail of the evocative and highly detailed dial dedicated to the China Limodoron orchid.
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