Guests arriving at Vacheron Constantin’s manufacture at dusk on September 17 expected the familiar rhythms of an anniversary gala: cocktails, speeches, fireworks, perhaps a musical or acrobatic performance. Instead, they were greeted by the artisans themselves, dressed in their white laboratory coats. Dozens of men and women who usually work out of view lined the entrance and the meandering halls of the factory, turning the site of the manufacture into a stage.
Artisans in the Spotlight
Watchmakers, engravers, guillocheurs, gem-setters, enamellers, and finishers, in short all those who sustain the Maison’s centuries-old craft, welcomed guests in line. Some descended the atrium’s glass staircase in a slow, choreographed procession, an unexpected and enchanting enactment that took attendees by surprise.
Later, under theatrical lighting and accompanied by live musicians, artisans demonstrated their precise gestures as yet another artistic performance, transforming their workshops into a theater while offering a glimpse into the métiers that have shaped Vacheron Constantin since its founding in 1755.
“Tonight we pay tribute to the true driving forces of the Maison, the women and men of the manufacture,” said Laurent Perves, the company’s chief executive, as he explained the evening’s staging to a large audience of guests. “They are the artisans. They are the watchmakers. They are the innovators. They are the guardians of our heritage.”
A Veil Lifted
On September 17, exactly 270 years after its founding in 1755, Vacheron Constantin chose to mark the occasion by “lifting the veil” on its artisans and celebrating the collective labor behind its creations.
Fireworks did light the skies above the manufacture that night, but the heart of the evening lay in the artisans placed center stage. “We don’t need all the fireworks, we already love this brand,” said Carlos Alonso, the founder of SIAR in Mexico City, capturing the sentiment of the occasion.
A Quest at the Louvre
The anniversary festivities had in fact begun a day earlier, in Paris, with the unveiling of La Quête du Temps at the Louvre, presented alongside an accompanying new Métiers d’Art wristwatch, which together underscored the maison’s focus on craft.
The message was unmistakable: if Geneva placed the artisans center stage, Paris highlighted their role in the dialogue between horology and culture.
La Quête, a monumental astronomical clock standing over a meter tall, weighing over 250 kilograms and composing over 6,000 parts, is animated by an impressive automaton. It is on public view at the Louvre until November 12 as part of a-not to-be-missed temporary exhibition titled Mécaniques d’Art.
This piece represents “seven years of work that has brought to life a remarkable mécanique d’art that unites humanity and the universe,” Perves explained.
Among those present at the unveiling and credited with the achievement were some of the specialists who had made the project a reality, namely Les Cabinotiers designer Alexia Steunou, Swiss automaton-maker François Junod, the clockmakers of L’Épée 1839, and the musician Woodkid.
Their presence was the company’s way of saluting those who keep Vacheron Constantin’s craft alive.
As Christian Selmoni, Style & Heritage Director, pointed out, the Quête is “a triumph of precision and vision,” noting in particular that one artisan spent months of research and weeks painting the celestial vault freehand inside the glass sphere, unforgiving work that leaves no room for error!
“This piece reflects our constant pursuit of excellence,” added Sandrine Donguy, the company’s Product & Innovation Director. “It brings together masters from many fields, showing not only technical and artistic skill but also the human drive to push into new horizons.”
Speaking on a panel about the project, Selmoni reflected that techniques such as enameling, engraving, and guilloché may seem “obsolete” in the digital age, yet at Vacheron Constantin they remain central.
“This anniversary is about honoring the enduring value of the human hand,” he said. After 270 years, that hand continues to define the Maison, and will likely guide its future.
