Vacheron Constantin Égérie Creative Edition Watch Review (2022)
The Vacheron Constantin Égérie Creative Edition wonderfully demonstrates the Maison’s expertise in uniting Haute Horlogerie with traditional artistic crafts. Inspired by Burano lace, this glorious example of métiers d’art encompasses tapisserie, engraving, enamelling and gem setting. Angus Davies looks closely at this exquisite feminine masterpiece.
Vacheron Constantin Égérie Creative Edition – Métiers d’art
Founded in 1755, Vacheron Constantin has a rich history of crafting watches encompassing artistic crafts, sometimes termed ‘métiers d’art’. Hand-guilloché, enamelling, engraving and gem-setting have all been skilfully imparted to the Maison’s watches by time-served artisans over the years. Indeed, métiers d’art has always been an important strand of Vacheron Constantin’s DNA.
Jewellery was strictly prohibited
The creation of timepieces embellished with guilloché, enamelling, engraving and gem-setting is a consequence of John Calvin and the draconian laws he imposed. Indeed, during the 16th century, life in Geneva conformed with the strict puritanical beliefs of John Calvin. Assigning religious names to children was prohibited. Men were forbidden from wearing clothes trimmed with braid. The making of jewellery, including the manufacture of ‘crosses, chalices or other instruments of popish idolatry’ was also strictly prohibited. As a result, artisans ultimately applied their skills and creativity to making timepieces, some of which were adorned with artistic crafts.
Despite the influence of Calvanism waning over the years, the demand for horological expressions of métiers d’art still endures. In the early part of the 19th century, Vacheron Constantin produced watches adorned with guilloché, pearls and semi-precious stones. Several of these timepieces incorporated floral-themed motifs made using enamel. Pocket watches, pendant watches and brooch watches were the order of the day.
Art Nouveau and Art Deco
The Maison released its first ladies’ wristwatches in the late 19th century, the so-called Art Nouveau period. These watches, ofter round, were set with diamonds, emeralds, etc. Thereafter, with the advent of Art Deco, the designs, once again incorporating precious stones, extended beyond round cases to include rectangular forms.
Vacheron Constantin Égérie Creative Edition – a collection dedicated to women
Throughout its history, Vacheron Constantin has produced an array of form watches. In 2003, the Maison released the Égérie, a tonneau-shaped model. Some 17 years later, in 2020, the Genevan marque unveiled a new Égérie, a collection of watches dedicated to women, heavily influenced by the world of Haute Couture. Indeed, ‘Égérie’ means ‘muse’ in French.
The Égérie Moon Phase 37mm, part of the collection when launched in 2020, remains a popular member of the muse-inspired family. The central area of its dial is enlivened with ‘pleats’. Sinuously-shaped hour and minute hands, along with a central sweep seconds hand, converse with stylised Breguet-type indexes to impart the time with notable flair. Breaking with convention, the moon phase indication rejects the customary 6 o’clock position, instead residing in the north-easterly region of the dial. Housed in a 37mm pink gold case, with the judicious addition of diamonds, this feminine timepiece brims with style.
Vacheron Constantin Égérie Creative Edition – inspired by Burano lace
Vacheron Constantin has now released a new Égérie, the ‘Creative Edition’. Encased in white gold, again measuring 37 mm in diameter, this model subscribes to the design language of the 2020 novelties, save for a number of eye-catching differences.
The prestigious Maison looked to Burano, a small Venetian island known for needle lacemaking for inspiration when creating the Égérie Creative Edition. Dating back to the 16th century, this art form was practised by noblewomen within the privacy of their homes. Later, this form of needlework was undertaken by professional artisans. While examples of lace were produced in other parts of Europe, they seldom matched the intricacy of Burano lace with its signature stitches. In the 18th century, a new genre of lace, ‘punto Burano’, emerged from the island. Comprising a fine mesh incorporating floral motifs, this needlepoint stitch exhibits a delicate, subtle appearance. It is this latter example of Burano lace that is referenced in this new model.
Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Manual-Winding – guilloché, enamelling, engraving and gem-setting
Vacheron Constantin has employed four artistic crafts on this version of the Égérie, namely guilloché, enamelling, engraving and gem-setting.
Guilloché
A rose engine lathe has been used to create the pleated dial motif. These machines are no longer made, so those examples that remain in use are sometimes over 100 years old. By using different cams, or ‘rosettes’, the guillocher imparts different motifs to a disc. This disc is placed in a rotating head and held securely in a vertical position. The guillocher presses a cutter against the dial surface with uniform pressure while simultaneously turning the rotating head at a constant speed. It is essential that the pressure and speed remain consistent. By using different rosettes, the guillocher can enliven the appearance of the dial with various, beautifully defined patterns. In the case of the Égérie Creative Edition, a silver disc has been used.
Enamelling
The dial is dressed in black enamel. After repeated firings in an oven, the resultant dial surface (Grand Feu) proffers a glorious appearance that will not fade with the onset of years. By choosing to use black enamel, Vacheron Constantin has taken a particularly arduous route to perfection as the colour readily shows any imperfections such as air bubbles. The Maison, known for being fastidious in every way, would never countenance anything less than excellence, hence those dials that don’t pass muster are discarded.
Plique-à-jour
Another form of enamel, plique-à-jour, has been used to endue the moon phase with a bewitching appearance, further heightened with the tasteful use of mother-of-pearl. Similar to the cloisonné technique, plique-à-jour involves placing translucent enamels within an open framework rather than filling a structure that is supported from the back. Again, this technique involves repeated firings to achieve the desired lustrous appearance.
Gem-setting
A supremely thin appliqué, said to be ‘no thicker than an eyelash’, serves as a frame which is then intricately engraved and set with diamonds, faithfully replicating the appearance of Burano lace. The engraver and gemsetter have worked closely together, in this instance, carefully applying 250 brilliant-cut diamonds to the dial. Further diamonds have been set within the case and crown, totalling an additional 292 diamonds. Furthermore, the white gold pin buckle incorporates 21 round-cut diamonds.
Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Manual-Winding – Manufacture Calibre 1088L
The Manufacture Calibre 1088L serves as the beating heart of this pulchritudinous timepiece. The balance has a frequency of 28,800 vph (4Hz) and the movement features 164 components including 26 jewels. Assuming the mainspring is fully tensioned, the watch will run autonomously for approximately 40 hours.
Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Manual-Winding – closing thoughts
Haute Horlogerie and Métiers d’art are inextricably linked to the history of Geneva. The creation of timepieces embellished with guilloché, enamelling, engraving and gem-setting is a consequence of John Calvin and the draconian laws he imposed. It is this history, that has shaped Genevan watchmaking. Indeed, it’s part of the terroir that has imbued timepieces made in this city with their distinctive character; watches such as the exceptional Vacheron Constantin Égérie Creative Edition.
Further reading
https://www.vacheron-constantin.com
Technical specifications
- Model: Vacheron Constantin Égérie Creative Edition
- Reference: 8006F/000G-B942
- Case: 18K white gold, diameter 37 mm, height 10.53 mm, water resistance 3 ATM (30 m), sapphire crystal to front and exhibition case back
- Functions: hours, minutes, centre seconds, moon phase
- Movement: Calibre 1088L, self-winding movement, frequency 28,800 vph (4 Hz); 26 jewels, power reserve of approximately 40 hours
- Strap: delivered with two black ‘self-interchangeable straps’: satin-effect calfskin leather and shiny Mississipiensis alligator, both of which feature a calf lining. Each strap is equipped with an 18K white gold pin buckle, set with 21 round-cut diamonds
- Price: £95,500 (RRP as of 23.8.2023)