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TIME, THE ESSENTIAL INGREDIENT All the artistic crafts, and not just those related to watchmaking, require time: and time becomes the key to their legitimacy What is the common denominator uniting the excellent crafts presented in this new issue of Arts & Crafts & Design? Time. François Rabelais wrote that “with Time all things are revealed; Time is the father of truth”. In the case of the métiers d’art, this truth is closely linked to elements which constitute a competitive advantage, and which make a real difference: originality, authenticity, legitimacy, dexterity. And time reveals the pristine beauty of the objects crafted by the artisans, thus becoming a friend and an ally of their creations, adding to them a symbolic and intrinsic value. Time becomes an essential ingredient. The time required for thought to transform a traditional Black Forest object. The time granted by the best designers to the master glassblowers of Barovier & Toso and which has always been an essential factor in expressing their talent. The time taken by cabinetmakers and ceramic specialists to give life to materials that thus appear in an even more beautiful shape thanks to their meticulous hand workmanship. Time is an essential ingredient of the Artistic Crafts that touch so many worlds, as well as the key to their legitimacy. One cannot hope to understand the Artistic Crafts without measuring them against the time played out in history, since these are often very ancient trades; the time inherent in expertise which requires years of practice; the time relating
to the creative process, which defies time itself; and the time involved in passing on these skills. Throughout its over 250 years of existence, Vacheron Constantin has been committed to paying tribute to time through an ongoing quest for technical and aesthetic excellence. This love of fine craftsmanship inspires every gesture of the master watchmakers and artistic masters in creating each object. Passion is the driving force behind their skill, patience and delicacy. Within such an approach, the countless hours devoted to such tasks are of merely secondary importance. For all Artistic Crafts, and not just those related to watchmaking, time resembles the famous thread followed by Ariadne, who was granted immortality. It is therefore now our common duty to ensure their longevity.
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Vacheron Constantin was the very first in the 1990s to rekindle the flame of the Artistic Crafts. The latter indeed lie at the very origins of our success, as is vividly demonstrated by the chased and gilt balance-cock on the first known watch by company founder Jean-Marc Vacheron. We are committed to fostering this mission, just as it nurtures our own endeavours. And we are delighted by the ever-increasing reputation of the European Art and Craft Profession Days of which we are the main sponsor. Each object, each work mingling past and present, artist and artisan, material and concept, cultivates the magic and keeps the dream vibrantly alive.
*CEO Vacheron Constantin
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