Two venerable institutions both possessing centuries-old histories and an enduring appeal to modern audiences. Who better to bring antiquity into the present?
Vacheron Constantin, founded in 1755, and the Louvre Museum, founded in 1793, announced their partnership in 2019. The recently unveiled Métiers d’Art — Tribute to Great Cilivisations, a collection of four artistic timepieces that spotlight ancient civilisations, is the most significant outcome yet of this collaboration. There will be just five pieces of each design.
Using fine crafts ranging from enamelling to engraving, Vacheron Constantin artisans created stunning timepieces that spotlight four epochs: the Ancient Egyptian empire, the Achaemenid Persian empire, Hellenistic Greece during the Antigonid dynasty. and the Roman Empire of the Julio-Claudians.
Each watch features a layered construction to showcase a variety of crafts. A circular frieze surrounds every dial with ornamentation inspired by works hat represent the decorative arts of each historical period. A sapphire crystal bearing a sculpted gold applique — or mini sculpture — illustrating a major work from each era is placed on the centre of the dial. The same sapphire crystal also features text in different scripts, reproduced by metallisation. Here’s a closer look at these masterpieces.
Related: Vacheron Constantin’s latest unique timepiece celebrates the Roman god of wine