Vacheron Constantin celebrates craft and the animal kingdom with six new concept watches

For Vacheron Constantin, craft is a medium that extends beyond horological borders, a philosophy encapsulated in its ‘One of Not Many Crafts Programme’. The project, which encourages innovation in the future of watchmaking, has now invited six artisans outside the industry to present their interpretation of what this could be.

The six concept watches, all inspired by the animal kingdom in some way, celebrate a diverse selection of crafts, from gold embroidery to feather work, wood marquetry, glass sculpting, paper sculpting and micro-origami.

For Christian Selmoni, Vacheron Constantin legacy and style director, collaborations play an essential role. ‘In the design, it was vital to consider the importance of innovation within tradition and the many ways in which miniature mastery celebrates nature’s beauty,’ he says. ‘We wanted to highlight each artisan’s craft and foster horological craftsmanship in a new modern way while remaining true to the heritage and savoir-faire of Vacheron Constantin.’

Featherwork by Julien Vermeulen, glass sculpting by Simone Crestani, micro origami by Anja Midori, gold embroidery by Laura Baverstock, paper sculpting by Marianne Guely and wood marquetry by Anna Le Corno make for a considered celebration of craft throughout the centuries.

Adds Selmoni: ‘It is important for us as a maison to continually expand and enrich our creative expression and Métiers d’Art. Collaborating with unique artisans is part of our “One of Not Many Crafts Programme”, which encourages innovation and new forms of expression in watchmaking. It is about bringing new artistic disciplines to life, while creating a dialogue between traditional craftsmanship and contemporary flair.’

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