Vacheron Constantin’s Metiers d’Art watches are often inspired by historic artworks of cultural significance. In the west this manifests through collections like the Louvre series, dedicated to the most popular museum in Europe. However, Vacheron’s latest series is dedicated to Chinese heritage, titled Vacheron Constantin Metiers d’Art Tribute to Traditional Symbols Eternal Flow and Moonlight Slivers.
There are four watches in the series, split between two dial designs across both white and rose gold cases. The two dials feature the same ‘Seawater Cliffs’ motif depicted using different techniques and stylisations. The ‘Seawater Cliffs’ is not a specific artwork but rather a common decorative motif used in the Imperial household dating back to the Ming and Qing dynasties. It was most often found on Imperial robes as the combination of protruding mountains rising from the sea symbolised the emperor’s strength and immutability in the face of change.
The first of the dials is called Eternal Flow and features a bright and colourful cloisonné enamel dial. It features a mountain rising from tidal waves and surrounded by ginger bud plants. In the Chinese language tide and dynasty are homonyms while the word cliff can also mean ginger bud, hence the combination of all these concepts into a single enamel dial. Interestingly, cloisonné is a technique that originated in China with the name Jingtai Blue, making its use here incredibly appropriate. 220 gold wires were used to shape the motif and its creation takes over 70 hours.
Eternal Flow features a 39mm diameter case in either white or pink gold with a hand-engraved bezel. Naturally, even the bezel engraving has meaning, after all this is the Metiers d’Art Tribute to Traditional Symbols series. Specifically, the long swirling lines are supposed to be representative of bats’ wings, as bats are symbols of happiness.
Second in the collection, and my personal preference of the two, is the Moonlight Slivers. It’s a little more restrained and stylising in its depiction of the ‘Seawater Cliffs’ motif. This lets you appreciate the design more instead of being blasted with the riotous colours of the Eternal Flow. The champleve enamel mountains sit against a blue Grand Feu enamel background while gemset waves crash against the cliffs.
Moonlight Slivers is also available in both case materials, but this time it has a gemset bezel instead of engraving, giving a total of 313 diamonds for the watch. Beneath the dials of both versions of the watch is the Vacheron Constantin 2460 calibre, an automatic movement with a 40-hour power reserve.
The Vacheron Constantin Metiers d’Art Tribute to Traditional Symbols Eternal Flow and Moonlight Slivers are each limited to 15 pieces in each metal. As with all the Metiers series, it’s incredibly exclusive and price on request. It’s certainly a series that is more focused towards the Chinese and Asian market (as was the recent Récits de Voyages) and which may not have a thematic draw for us in the west, but it’s also one that you can objectively admire for its flawless use of decorative arts.
Price and Specs:
More details at Vacheron Constantin.
