Vacheron Constantin lets watch lovers wear master artworks on their wrists
The luxury brand has tied up with the MET to reproduce masterpieces by the likes of Van Gogh and Monet on bespoke timepieces
ART lovers can now literally wear art masterpieces on their wrist, in the form of beautiful bespoke luxury watches.
Vacheron Constantin has sealed a collaboration with New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, popularly known as the MET, that, among other things, extends the catalogue for the Swiss luxury watch brand’s “Masterpiece on your Wrist” programme.
First rolled out in 2019, the programme offers connoisseurs an opportunity to realise a custom-made “single piece edition watch” from Vacheron Constantin’s Les Cabinotiers department, which creates unique personalised timepieces. The watch will have an enamel dial reproduction of a masterwork from the world’s pre-eminent museums.
The MET tie-up, launched last year, broadens the programme’s access to iconic and beloved paintings such as Wheat Field with Cypresses by Vincent van Gogh, Bridge over a Pond of Water Lilies by Claude Monet and Northeaster by Winslow Homer; or sculptures such as Diana by Augustus Saint-Gaudens.
Commissioning clients picking an artwork from the MET collection will have experts and curators to provide guidance on their selection. Clients will also get to visit Vacheron Constantin’s factory in Geneva to meet the master watchmakers and artisans who will create the timepiece to their liking. The personalised watch will come with a certificate of authenticity from the MET and Vacheron Constantin.
In customising the watch, Vacheron Constantin offers a choice of three timepieces, including a model that combines the musical charm of a minute repeater with the timekeeping precision of a gravity-defying tourbillon, with the bonus of a power reserve indicator. The other two models are a minute repeater and a time-only watch with central seconds.
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All the timepieces are certified by the Hallmark of Geneva for meeting the highest standards in decorative finishing, precision and craftsmanship. And they are all powered by movements developed and made in-house.
The movement for the minute repeater-tourbillon, Calibre 2755 TMR, is a hand-winding mechanism with 58 hours of power reserve. Launched in 2017, it is designed to compensate for the effects of the earth’s gravity and operates at a low frequency of 2.5 Hz (18,000 vibrations per hour) which enables its complexity to be fully appreciated. (Timepieces operating on low frequency are often associated with old-world craftsmanship and hand-adjusted watches.)
The only-minute repeater watch runs on Calibre 1731, hand-winding mechanism just 3.9 mm thick – very slim for a minute repeater, but still equipped with a barrel that ensures an impressive 65 hours’ power reserve. The movement also has a completely soundless flying strike governor that regulates the rate at which the hammers strike the gongs. For a crystal-clear and perfectly even pitch, the gongs are not only linked to the case middle to amplify the sound, but also superimposed rather than aligned side by side.
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The time-only model is powered by Calibre 2460 SC, an automatic movement with 40 hours’ power reserve.
Founded in 1755, Vacheron Constantin has always demonstrated a deep commitment to the arts. The latest deal with the MET is an ongoing push to support, engage and learn from the arts community. It also includes mission-driven projects, such as an artist-in-residency programme and other educational initiatives. The extension of the “Masterpiece on your Wrist” programme is the first project.
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