Christian Selmoni: Style and Heritage Director

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Christian Selmoni: Style and Heritage Director - Vacheron Constantin
A recognised figure in watchmaking, Christian Selmoni has contributed to the last 20 years of the industry.

On the occasion of GMT Magazine’s 20th anniversary (and WorldTempus’s upcoming 20th anniversary in 2021), we have embarked on the ambitious project of summarising the last 20 years in watchmaking in The Millennium Watch Book, a big, beautifully laid out coffee table book. The Millennium Watch Book is available exclusively now for pre-order at a discounted rate on www.the-watch-book.com, in French and English, with delivery aimed just in time for the holiday season. 

In the coming weeks, WorldTempus will be exclusively sharing excerpts from the book, to give you a taste.

Only a few days left to get an additional 10% discount on the Millennium Watch Book. To obtain your code, fill in the information requested in the dedicated area to the left of the article.

Here’s is an exclusive excerpt from our section “Who’s who”, where we name the 80 industry players, from CEOs to Creative Directors to retailers and independent watchmakers, who have indelibly shaped the last two decades of watches, written by those in the industry who perhaps know them best. For more information, visit www.the-watch-book.com.

Who’s who-Christian Selmoni Vacheron Constantin, Style and Heritage Director

Born to a family of watchmakers in the Vallée de Joux, historical cradle of Swiss watchmaking, Christian Selmoni, 61, celebrates three decades at Vacheron Constantin this year. For most of this period, he has been tasked with balancing past and future at Vacheron Constantin, by injecting creativity into new designs while preserving the classic refinement of the house style. 

Selmoni first joined Vacheron Constantin in 1990 in sales. He soon moved up in the company, first into purchasing then production, playing a central role in overseeing both manufacturing and sourcing.

When Vacheron Constantin, founded in 1755, was preparing to celebrate its 250th anniversary, Selmoni was charged with centralising every aspect of product creation for the maison’s anniversary products.

Excerpt “The Millennium Watch Book”: Christian Selmoni

A keen art lover, Selmoni affirmed his own interest in the creative side of watchmaking, as he explains: “Thankfully, a large part of watchmaking at Vacheron Constantin is artistically oriented.” Centuries-old craftsmanship allows Vacheron Constantin to make speciality timepieces with a creative liberty overseen by Selmoni’s watchful eye. This resulted in memorable collections such as Les Masques presented in 2007 and featuring tiny masks inspired by the Barbier-Mueller collection inside the watch dials. The partnership in 2010 with Japanese lacquer specialist Zohico  introduced traditional Japanese lacquer techniques to watch dials.

What Selmoni enjoyed best as Artistic Director was acting as inhouse “trend” forecaster, overseeing the development of the Métiers d’Art workshops, as well as supervising the work of the maison’s Les Cabinotiers ateliers that produce made-to-order timepieces.

As Style and Heritage director since 2017, Selmoni now sees himself as something of a “guardian of the temple.” His role is to shine a spotlight on the heritage of the house, while occasionally dabbling in design. His is the noble task of enriching Vacheron Constantin’s heritage, while ensuring that the new pays due respect to the old.

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