Vacheron Constantin

The Beautiful Vacheron Constantin Métiers d’Art Fabuleux Ornements

 

The Ottoman Architecture and the Indian Manuscript


The Chinese embroidery and the French Lace ...



The Ottoman Architecture


Case diameter for all 4 pieces are the same, at 37mm by 8.00 height.  So it is also considered to be in the  extra-plate category.
Water-resistant is rated to 30 metres.

Bezel is pave set with 64 round-cut diamonds with a total weight of 0.89 carat.


The Ottoman Architecture is in a 18K 5N pink gold case.


The 18K gold dial was prepared with the moucharaby (wooden lattice) motif.  The edges are then hand-chamfered and beveled.


The artisan chamfering the edges...


Pearls were perched on the gold work...


A magnified picture of the nearly finished work ...

Note carefully the work done ... from the outer circumference ...
1) the gold dial is milgrain deocrated around the whole circumference, the inner circumference is milgrain engraved too.
2) edges of the lattice were chamfered and beveled
3) surface of the dial is also given a straight cotes polishing
4) Pearls were mounted.

Great details!


Not done yet, another piece of mother-of-pearl inlay were placed to provide subtle iridescent play.





Sapphire gold caseback with the engraved serial number displaying the other side of the Calibre 1003SQ.



The Indian Manuscript


Case is also of  5N pink gold.

The colour of the Indian Manuscript model is vibrant - 'oriental flowers with foliage and a blue sky'.  Total of 10 different hues for the final work!


Hand engraving on the movement ...

Both hands are also open-worked!

Also note the dial, besides the champleve enameling of the oriental flowers, the foliage around them are engraved after all the firings of the enameling.


All four models, bezel is pave set with 64 round-cut diamonds.

Signed gold crown.




A picture of the Grand Feu Champleve technique.  The cavities on the gold-plate were created for the enamels to fill in.  To create the 10 different hues, the dial went through multiple firings.




The French Lace


The only piece in 18K white gold with additional inner ring set with 60 round-cut diamonds of total 0.20 carat.


The inlay is a translucent hand-guilloche Grand Feu piece with a pink tint.



The gold components for the dial of the French Lace... lace pattern from traditional French-style embroideries.




Blue and pink sapphires and diamonds were set onto another 4 patterns, and mounted on top of the lace-pattern-plate.



The finished stunning French Lace piece.




The Chinese Embroidery


The Chinese Embroidery model is in 18K 5N pink gold case.   Similar to the French Lace, it has two rings of diamonds.



This dial work will resemble the Chinese embroideries with silk threads and flowers.

A few techniques were used with this piece ...


Firstly the flowers are of rubies, cuprites and garnets.  They are individually cut,carved and engraved to form the shape like the glyptic art.
Engraving the ruby is a challenge as it is extremely hard at 9 Moh.


Next the leaves and petals are engraved too for further details.


The dial plate is recessed and each recess is then filled with pink opals individually cut and lapped.


Fitting the pink opal into a recess.


Then the mounting of the other pieces like the gemstone-flowers and gold leaves.



The final work.



The watch is paired with alligator strap ( available colours - purple, burgundy, blue and black) with a gold ardillon buckle with diamonds set.


Victor Hugo may have beautifully surmised these elegant  Métiers d’Art Fabuleux Ornements pieces - "No external grace is complete if it is not vivified by inner beauty".
Remarkable aesthetic with a stunning ultra-thin movement.

Which model/s do you like?


Kong

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