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Interface News Reporter | Yang Qingqing

Interface News Editor | Huang Shan

Vacheron Constantin Métiers d'Art Art Master Series "Tribute to Chinese Cultural Symbols" Watch

On August 9, 2024, Vacheron Constantin officially opened the special exhibition themed "Hengshan Mountain in the Sea - A Journey of Sea Water, River Cliffs and Time" at Pudu Temple in Beijing.

Under the starry night sky, the rolling hills are covered with ginger-shaped vegetation, and the waves constantly hit the rugged reefs. This dial design is a tribute to Chinese culture and traditional patterns, and the cloisonné enamel craft from China is specially selected to show rich and bright colors (also known as "Jingtai Blue", which was popular during the Jingtai period of the Ming Dynasty). The cloisonné enamel craft has a strong plasticity, allowing the craftsman to depict a variety of colors and intricate and exquisite patterns.

The “seawater and cliff pattern” on the dial uses a total of 220 gold threads and more than 50 hours of craftsmanship. After that, it has to go through multiple layers of enamel to shape the pattern, showing different colors and brightness. Each layer of enamel must be fired separately in a kiln. The craftsman needs at least 70 hours of production time to create the colorful tones presented on the watch. After the enamel is fired, it must be polished to ensure that the golden luster of the cloisonné enamel is fully displayed, giving the “seawater and cliff pattern” a sophisticated texture. The last step to complete this watch with great architectural beauty is to add a layer of translucent enamel coating, which not only adds a unique luster to this timepiece masterpiece, but also makes the charming lines and the long-standing heritage skills more charming.

To complement the exquisite cloisonné enamel design on the dial, the craftsman of Vacheron Constantin hand-engraved a bat pattern on the bezel. In Chinese, "bat" and "blessing" are homophones, and bats have always been a symbol of good fortune and prosperity. In traditional Chinese decorative patterns, five bats often appear together, representing blessing, wealth, longevity, happiness, and wealth. The hand-carving master carefully outlined the vortex bat pattern for the case of this watch, showing the unique contour lines of the bat in Chinese decoration.

The second “Seawater River Cliff Pattern” watch is designed to create a visual depth effect against a monochrome background. Depending on the model, the dial is made of 18K white gold or pink gold. The one-piece dial uses water pattern carving, blue enamel and diamond inlays to express the majestic mountains. Vacheron Constantin’s craftsmen use a series of craftsmanship techniques to give the “Seawater River Cliff Pattern” a low-key but highly recognizable aesthetic style.

The gold dial is divided into three parts. The first part is to create the dial background symbolizing the sea, which is made of layers of deep blue Grand Feu enamel fired at high temperatures. The next step is to patiently carve rolling waves on the enamel. Next, Vacheron Constantin's craftsmen carefully fill these water ripples with white enamel. Finally, this extremely thin layer of enamel casts a delicate shadow effect on the finely textured background, creating a picture of a turbulent seascape.

The second part depicts the tides on the mountains. Each ray of sea water is created with hand-set brilliant-cut diamonds, reminiscent of the bright moonlight, an image that also inspired the name of the work. Meanwhile, the third part is the main body of the turbulent mountains on the dial. The carefully engraved gold appliques are decorated with champlevé enamel in the same color, highlighting the depth of the mountains and rivers, while the texture of the copper plate engraving gives this landscape painting a beautiful perspective effect.

The sparkling brilliant-cut diamonds not only outline the contours of the sea tide, but also complement the bezel inlaid with the same diamonds, emitting a bright moonlight-like glow.

This special exhibition consists of three chapters: "Light but Not Dazzling", "Fushan Shouhai", and "Perfect Match", which cleverly integrate the excellent traditional Chinese culture with the watchmaking art of Vacheron Constantin. It also uses the "seawater and cliff patterns" highly respected in the courts of the Ming and Qing dynasties as an inspiration link, presenting a journey across time and space, integrating the East and the West.

Breguet Classique 5345 Double Tourbillon “Quaigne d’Horlogerie”

In 2024, the new Breguet Classique 5345 Double Tourbillon Quai de l’Horloge watch will have a bird’s-eye view of Mr. Abraham-Louis Breguet’s workshop at 39 Quai de l’Horloge engraved on the back of the watch. It needs to be hand-engraved by Breguet’s master craftsmen and takes more than 100 hours of meticulous craftsmanship. The exquisite and intricate engraving details highlight the brand’s excellent craftsmanship and historical heritage.

Under the rose gold case with a diameter of 46 mm and a thickness of 16.8 mm, the Breguet 588N2 movement, which consists of 740 parts, is precise and complex, which effectively interprets the superb skills required for creation. This masterpiece is fascinating with its ingenious mechanical device. When viewing the watch from the side of the dial, you can appreciate the gorgeous dance of the two tourbillons, which are an indispensable part of the time display.

This commemorative watch combines superb mechanical technology with profound aesthetic attainments. Breguet condenses the complex yet harmonious watch universe that seems to subvert the laws of physics into this masterpiece of timepiece.

The new Montblanc Bohème watch series

Montblanc Bohème watches are crafted with exquisite dials using superior decorative techniques, and their complex functions can fully meet the needs of daily wear. The watch case adopts the classic design of the Bohème series, with faceted integrated lugs, showing the enduring charm of elegant aesthetics.