BY AARON DE SILVA

As Vacheron Constantin unveils its flagship Southeast Asia boutique in ION Orchard, we see how the world's oldest watch manufacture stays relevant in the modern era of fine watchmaking

AGE DEFYING TACTICS

For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction, decrees Isaac Newton’s Third Law. This truism, one might argue, can be just as suitably appropriated to luxury consumer behavior. As much as today’s consumers live in a world of 3D printing, smart watches and fancy apps, others might yearn for things artisanal, bespoke and handcrafted. While some derive instant gratification from online shopping, others prefer the human touch in a traditional brick-and-mortar setup.

Not surprisingly, it’s this new breed of consumers – Millennials, young executives and technopreneurs – that is shaping luxury watch retail. “The younger generation of luxury shoppers are not only buying a product, but an exceptional moment,” says Julien Tornare, Vacheron Constantin’s (VC) Asia Pacific Managing Director. “They are knowledgeable, but they also want to learn. They want stories to be told. They want to be part of the club. It’s our job to explain why a VC watch is a precious item, how much time we spent making a watch, and why it’s so expensive.”

Ergo, VC seeks to create unforgettable retail experiences in its new Southeast Asia flagship, which opened in October in ION Orchard. The idea is to enhance the brand’s profile amid this fast-growing, strategically and economically important market. At more than 2,000 sq ft, the flagship stocks VC’s regular

collection, boutique-only models, and a Singapore exclusive, Métiers d’Art Hommage à l’Art de la Danse, expressly dedicated to the boutique’s launch. A selection of vintage watches, Vacheron Constantin les Collectionneurs, are also available, accompanied by certificates of authenticity.

Testament to Singapore’s reputation as a hub of fine watch appreciation, a full-time watchmaker from Switzerland is on hand to service timepieces from up to 30 years ago. This will not only enhance after-sales service, but also provide interaction between watchmaker and client – a human face to the brand, if you will. “We chose someone who is able to communicate with collectors at a level that I cannot,” says Tornare.

FROM TOP: Vacheron Constantin stands on the shoulders of pioneering watchmakers who shared the same thirst for perfection as their founderArtisan applying enamel to a dial of the Hommage à l’Art de la Danse.

Past PresentBut nifty after-sales service isn’t the primary draw. Rather, it’s VC’s history and heritage. The brand will celebrate its 260th anniversary next year, the longest of any existing watch manufacture. With longevity comes an implicit level of faith. “People trust us,” says Tornare. “They know that we’ve been here for 260 years, and maybe even for the next 260 years. When you invest so much money in a timepiece, you want to feel confident and assured.”

This remarkable patrimony has provided an endless source of inspiration for generations of watchmakers. “It’s a treasure trove for us,” says Artistic Director Christian Selmoni. “We have all our files, archives, sketches and watches from the museum. We nurture our contemporary products with this heritage.” Selmoni

adds that many of the technical developments or metiers d’art techniques employed by VC today are made possible by the experience accumulated over the centuries.

For this, VC owes a debt of gratitude to the culture of apprenticeship – the transmission of knowledge and know-how generation after generation – instilled by founder Jean-Marc Vacheron.

Take the Métiers d’Art Hommage à l’Art de la Danse. With the trio of ballet themed watches, the company revisited the traditional art of grand feu ‘grisaille’ enamelling. The technique typically requires the artisan to work with black enamel.

Here, VC craftsmen decided to work with a translucent brown enamel base. They then added Limoges white enamel to the base, drawing out the ballerinas using fine brushes and even cactus thorns, and subsequently baking the enamel dials over high temperature to create the intricate tones, textures and pigmentation that replicate the paintings of Edgar Degas, upon which the artwork is based. The resultant creations not only demand sublime skills, but knowledge and experience that can only be intentionally passed on from one generation of craftsmen to the next.

Heritage, however, can also be double-edged. “It is a trap if

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Vacheron Constantin’s new Singapore boutique at ION Orchard. This year’s Mécaniques Ajourées collection, which advances openworked artistry, is testament to Vacheron Constantin’s motto, “Do better if possible, and that is always possible”. The brand’s stunning metiers d’art models owe its debt to a legacy of knowledge transmission.

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you only look back and repeat what you have already done, and don’t create or innovate,” said Marketing Director Julien Marchenoir in another interview.

To counter this, VC does its utmost to push the envelope of creativity, without overstepping the boundaries of its classical guise. The best examples of this delicate balancing act can be found in the brand’s Metiers d’Art collection.

This year, for instance, the spectacular Mécaniques Ajourées series of openworked watches showcased the brand’s unrivalled skill in volumising and sculpture. Openworked movements have been a house specialty ever since Jean-Marc Vacheron created a pocket watch with an openworked and engraved balance cock in 1755. This niche skill has been a major draw for collectors since the 1990s.

“Mécaniques Ajourées is exactly the kind of challenge I like,” says Selmoni. “When we

conceptualised this collection, we made several iterations trying to find the right aesthetic. We wanted to do something different. Together with the craftsmen, we came up with the idea of creating a sculpture in the movement, working in three dimensions to reveal the metallic architecture. The master engraver with whom we worked has about 30 years of experience, but nobody asked him to do something like this before.”

That young whippersnappers like MB&F, Richard Mille and Urwerk are redefining the watchmaking landscape by means of space-age materials and avant-garde construction methods is of little consequence to VC. “For us it’s more important to do what we’ve been doing in an even better way,” maintains Tornare.

As 2015 approaches, what can collectors expect? “The 250th anniversary was a great celebration, and the 260th will be fantastic. We want to work around the fact that we are a global brand

now, present and active in so many countries. You will see a few things at SIHH, and a few key pieces will be kept for later in the year,” says Tornare.

A scintillating teaser was launched at Watches & Wonders: the Maître Cabinotier Astronomica, a piece-unique featuring 15 complications – mostly of the astronomical variety – displayed on the dial and case back. (See ‘Wonder Lust’.) Notably, it was created by the same watchmaker who crafted the ultra-complicated Tour de l’lle for the brand’s 250th anniversary in 2005.

FROM LEFT: The Métiers d’Art Hommage à l’Art de la Danse, a collection of three artisan timepieces featuring grand feu ‘grisaille’ enamelling was presented at the Singapore boutique opening. Julien Tornare, Vacheron Constantin’s Asia Pacific Managing Director.

For the most exclusive calibres, 100 per cent of the parts are finished and decorated by hand using time-tested techniques.

VC has two production facilities, one in Le Sentier in the Vallee de Joux, and another in Plan-les-Ouates (pictured), a suburb of Geneva.

At 259 years old this year, Vacheron Constantin is the world’s oldest running watch manufacture. Pictured here is the man who started it all, Jean-Marc Vacheron.

In the complications atelier, each high complication, such as tourbillon minute repeaters and perpetual calendars, are assembled, tested and cased by a single watchmaker. Pictured is the Partimony Traditionelle 14-Day Tourbillon.

The Le Sentier facility (VCVJ in internal parlance) is where VC develops new movements and produces movement components. A total of 430 staff work there.

THE VACHERON CONSTANTIN

MANUFACTURE IN NUMBERS

Vacheron's second factory in Plan-les-Ouates was designed by French-Swiss architect Bernard Tschumi. It was inaugurated on August 9th, 2004 after 18 months of construction.

VC is one of a rare handful of manufactures to practice double assembly, whereby movements are assembled and tested to ensure perfect functionality, then disassembled, cleaned, and assembled/tested a second time.

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