VACHERON CONSTANTIN

The Swiss manufacture enriches its Métiers d’art – The Legend of the Chinese Zodiac line with this Year of the Tiger edition. A limited series of 12 pieces for each reference, two new 40mm creations – in platinum or pink gold (pictured) – combine technical excellence with the beauty of traditional artistic crafts. For this timepiece, master engravers and enamellers reinterpreted the German art of paper cutting or scherenschnitt, which is similar to the traditional Chinese folk art of jianzhi. Floral motifs based on classic Chinese iconography are etched directly into the dial’s metal. The semi-embedded pattern stands out with varying degrees of relief that create depth. Next comes the grand feu enamelling, in which the intensity of the bronze-toned dial is enhanced as an artisan applies a vitreous glaze in successive layers and fires it in temperatures between 800 and 900 deg C. Crafted in pink gold, the big cat is hand-engraved and delicately applied to the dial centre. Thanks to the Calibre 2460 G4, the central dial becomes a backdrop for the artwork as the hands-free time display is achieved via four apertures showing the hours, minutes, days and dates. These indications on the Hallmark of Geneva-certified timepiece embody the maison’s long-standing savoir faire in designing and developing original displays.