SIHH 2014: New Men’s Watches From Vacheron Constantin


Vacheron Constantin Metiers d'Art Mecaniques Ajourees blueAfter wooing the ladies with its new offerings at last year’s SIHH, Vacheron Constantin turned its focus back to the male haute horlogerie connoisseur this year, and also threw a spotlight on the art of skeletonization, launching no less than six openworked timpieces: four in the brand’s prestigious Metiers d’Art Collection and new, skeleton versions of two of its tourbillon watches, the Malte Tourbillon and Patrimony Traditonnelle 14-Day Tourbillon.

According to Vacheron, the inspiration for the Metiers d’Art Mecaniques Ajourees collection (“ajouree” is French for “openworked) came from the architectural design of 19th century European railroad stations — the Gothic arches and airy vaults of the Industrial Revolution, along with the distinctive railway wall clocks and their Roman numerals. The movement in these watches, Caliber 4400 SQ (“squellette”) is described by the company as “hand-sculpted,” featuring manual beveling, engraving, and straightening, fine interior angles and contrasting brushed and polished finishes. The outer rings (in black, gray, or blue; there is also a high-jewelry version with baguette diamonds on the bezel) are made of grand feu enamel. The white gold cases are 40 mm in diameter, and the movement bears the Geneva Hallmark. We’ll certainly delve into these exceptional watches further in time, but for now, I’ll let the pictures tell the story…

Vacheron Constantin Metiers d'Art Mecaniques Ajourees black

Vacheron Constantin Metiers d'Art Mecaniques Ajourees blueVacheron Constantin Metiers d'Art Mecaniques Ajourees grayVacheron Constantin Metiers d'Art Mecaniques Ajourees High Jewelry
Leave a Reply