A new watch brand is born: TAOS – The culmination of Métiers d’Art

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Combining the pure vision and exceptional talents of renowned Genevan dial maker Atelier Olivier Vaucher with the insightful passion of watchmaker Olivier Gaud, TAOS is born, unveiling a novel concept in watchmaking: Watches combining multiple exceptional artistic crafts, each a unique masterpiece crafted in the Geneva workshop, to create extraordinary dials that spring to life through intricately decorated mechanical movements.

Each watch is one-of-a-kind, each dial a work of art. The culmination of years of experience, patience and creativity amassed by the more than 40 artisan-craftspeople at Atelier Olivier Vaucher.

Over 200 hours of work go into making a single dial, over 100 hours of engraving into each movement. With Atelier Olivier Vaucher as its keystone, TAOS elevates the standards of watchmaking to the pinnacle of exclusivity and creativity.

The Atelier shares its complete savoir-faire and expertise with TAOS, the same skills that have enriched the watchmaking industry as a whole. Indeed, since 1978, the most prestigious brands have consistently sought out the expertise and artistry of Olivier and Dominique Vaucher and their team.

Today, their golden touch, inspired by the passionate horologist Olivier Gaud, is dedicated to crafting an inaugural series of 7 unique watches. Each piece is distinct, unprecedented, and showcases a style never seen before. The Geneva-based brand speaks to those who love beauty, finesse, poetry, and the infinite variety of emotions that only these ‘miracle hands’ could bring to life.

For the first time in the history of watchmaking, a company specializing in exceptional dials – celebrated as one of the most talented in the field of Métiers d’Art, where craftsmanship is more akin to art – is contributing to the birth of a new hyper-exclusive watch brand. Indeed, TAOS will create only a few unique pieces each year.

As a purveyor to the most exclusive watch brands, Atelier Olivier Vaucher is one of the world’s leading references in Métiers d’Art as applied to watch faces – Grand Feu enamel, engraving, miniature painting, mosaics and gem-setting are all part of its repertoire, the most comprehensive in Switzerland.

Even more valuable than the individual skills are the myriad ways in which these sublime artistic crafts are combined, cementing Atelier Olivier Vaucher’s stature in this rarefied circle. Founded in 1978 by Olivier Vaucher, with his wife and artist Dominique at his side, the Atelier works tirelessly behind the scenes, creating the faces of the rarest and most sought-after timepieces in the watchmaking industry.

Initial Spark

As the Atelier embarks on an unprecedented expansion phase, moving to new premises just a short distance from its original location in the heart of Geneva, it is nurturing the green shoot of a new venture: TAOS – which will also benefit from the Atelier’s creative capabilities.

TAOS is the brainchild of Olivier and Dominique Vaucher on one side, and Olivier Gaud on the other. With 46 years of experience leading the Atelier that bears his name, Olivier Vaucher had long harbored the vision and dream of creating a watch brand that utilizes the full scope of his workshop’s savoir-faire and resources. Olivier and Dominique’s encounter with Olivier Gaud, coupled with their shared passion for exceptional watchmaking, ignited the spark that brought TAOS to life.

The outcome of their reflections, dedication, and artistry is manifested in unique pieces named Ondes (Waves), Floréal, Euphorie, Kaléidoscope, Broderie (Embroidery), and Envol (Flight). They form TAOS’s inaugural collection, showcasing the Métiers d’Art as applied to horology.

Inspired Origin

Taos is a small community in the mountains of New Mexico, nestled along the Rio Grande, known since the late 1800s as an artistic colony with an eclecticism and creativity all its own. Here, Native American artists still hand-craft objects using traditional methods passed down through generations.

For over a century Taos has also evolved into a major artistic hub, drawing a diverse mix of American and international artists – some stay only a short while; others lay down permanent roots. This melding of arts and cultures has transformed Taos into a community that stands out for its uniqueness, vibrancy, and remarkable openness.

‘Taos’ is also the Greek word for peacock. Both mythical and familiar, this fascinating creature never ceases to amaze with its multifaceted beauty. TAOS draws inspiration from its myriad colors. An endless palette of blue and green hues, interwoven with white and black, textured and silky – the peacock embodies the magic of polychromy and iridescence.

The peacock is elegance. In a slow, majestic stride it fans out its vast plumage, a natural masterpiece, fully aware it is the center of admiration. Far from any such vanity, guided by the intrinsic modesty that characterizes Olivier Gaud and the team at Atelier Olivier Vaucher, TAOS, too, is aware its creations will draw attention. Because they are the fruit of immense effort, yet effortless in their grace. Because they are dazzling and captivating, infused with a discreet elegance, both rare and precious.

Orchestral Creativity

TAOS is ideally positioned to benefit from the expertise of Atelier Olivier Vaucher’s more than 40 collaborators, pooling the experience and expertise of over 15 distinct crafts and professions. After forty-six years of growth, maturation, deepening expertise, and continual progression towards perfection, the Atelier has become one of the most comprehensive and respected establishments of its kind. Its Geneva location has, from the outset, placed it at the epicenter of exceptional watchmaking. This recognition is a testament to the dedication and skill of those who work there.

In this environment, the artisan-craftspeople find fulfillment, support, and engaging dialogue, along with the natural cross-fertilization that springs from the collaboration of great talents. It is in this setting that a series of uniquely original and exceptional Métiers d’Art pieces are being created today, each surpassing the last in originality and excellence.

Olivier Gaud, CEO of TAOS, comments: “Bringing TAOS to life with the benefit of the support and involvement of one of Geneva’s most distinguished watchmaking artisans from the very start of our journey has been an extraordinary adventure. Never has a brand been so privileged to have such a wealth of skills across the various Métiers d’Art from its inception.”

“I’ve always dreamed it would be this way,” reveals Olivier Vaucher, founder of Atelier Olivier Vaucher. “To create independently for individual collector clients, and in the process to continue pushing ahead in our research and the various forms of expression, it gives a sense of fulfillment that I fully share with Dominique and our entire team.”

Olivier Vaucher dreamed it, Olivier Gaud made it a reality.

Independent Freedom

Collaborating with and supporting TAOS from its inception has enabled Atelier Olivier Vaucher to conceive, test, and execute bold and risky projects with complete freedom. “At the core of TAOS’s DNA is the desire to highlight and honor the Métiers d’Art in their totality, and Olivier Gaud encourages us to go further, to push the boundaries, to try new techniques, and to challenge our creativity,” comments Dominique Vaucher.

Born from the imagination, hearts and fingertips of the artisans at the Atelier, the first TAOS collection emerges: seven unique watches that bring the Atelier’s team effort to the forefront, each piece sparking an unparalleled capacity for wonder.

These seven timepieces not only showcase incredible craftsmanship but also affirm that the Métiers d’Art are alive, intensely vibrant, and charged with emotion.

Collective Endeavor

And it is thanks to this passion, this soul that is carefully nurtured by the founders and leaders of Atelier Olivier Vaucher, that TAOS can shine. It is because they are challenged and guided by Olivier Gaud, CEO of TAOS, that their creations make their way to their audience. It is a collective endeavor, filled with warmth, aimed as much at the fulfillment of those who create as it is at the satisfaction of its final recipients.

Such is the ethos of TAOS. A simple and joyful mix of support, approachability, respect, and protectiveness – four essential conditions for a cause that is deeply important to both Olivier Gaud and the Vauchers: the blossoming and then nurturing of talent.

Artistic Richness

Broderies d’Émail – Enamel Embroideries – lets the finesse of enamel explore new expressive territory. Hundreds of strands of molten enamel are laid out as so many segments of silk on lace. The trompe-l’oeil is perfect, the impression of depth unique, and the detail surprising.

Envol Bleu and Envol Rouge  – Blue Flight and Red Flight – feature engraved feathers covered in enamel, a flower-like silver-leaf paillon encircled with diamonds. Multiple layers, firings, details, and micro-engravings amplify the blooming of a delicate rosace pattern.

Floréal offers a bouquet of mother-of-pearl flowers miniature-painted in subtle shades of pink. They rest on a canvas of paillonné enamel, sprinkled with blue cloisonné enamel petals, neatly arranged in a composition highlighted by diamonds.

Kaléidoscope reveals a rhythmic alternation of hardstone mosaic pieces, arrayed in the shape of a heart around a central, raised mother-of-pearl relief.

Ondes – Waves – transcends its monochromatic appearance, harmonizing mechanics and art. The mother-of-pearl dial is engraved layer upon layer, seemingly endlessly, mirroring the patterns that adorn the movement that beats beneath it.

Genevan Tradition

TAOS is deeply rooted in a revered tradition, a unique culture of artistic expression, with Geneva as its vibrant heart. It is here, between the Jura Mountains and the Alps, where Lake Geneva flows into the Rhône River, that the craft of transforming a watch into a work of art, born almost four centuries ago, continues to blossom.

Building on watch movements that are in themselves exceptional, though not always from Geneva, the city has fostered and encouraged an ecosystem of specialized artisans. Enamellers. Gem setters. Lapidaries. Goldsmiths. Miniature painters. Engravers. Illuminators. These skilled artists-craftspeople have been honing their exceptional talents in the historic heart of Geneva since the mid-1600s.

Torchbearers

They created a powerful, prosperous and influential industry that has shaped and projected a unique facet of Geneva and Switzerland’s image around the world. The historical continuity is flawless, and the tradition remains unbroken, thanks to the dedication and genius of a few artisan-craftspeople.

More important, they preserved, passed on and increased this knowledge, this savoir-faire and, most importantly, cultivated the determination to continue creating. Among these individuals are Olivier Gaud and Olivier and Dominique Vaucher. They stand as both protectors and torchbearers of the Genevan spirit of excellence in the artistic crafts that epitomize Métiers d’Art in horology.

Fertile Audacity

TAOS thus embraces the most daring, cutting-edge, and personally fulfilling projects imaginable by the Atelier’s artisan-craftspeople. “The work we do for TAOS enables us to explore uncharted territory and engage in concrete research,” explain Olivier and Dominique Vaucher. “It’s highly motivating for our teams and it allows us to keep doing what we’ve committed to from the start: to keep pushing boundaries for the benefit of all our clients.”

And Olivier Gaud adds: “It’s even better than a research lab. The artisans of the Atelier demonstrate an extraordinary dedication to their craft, which positively impacts the creativity of all TAOS designs.”

Thus, each creation emerges as a ‘one-of-a-kind’ watch, subtly marked with the TAOS signature. This is because the centerpiece of this emotive vessel is concentrated within just a few square centimeters – the dial. Here, a distinct creativity unfolds, fueled by the spirit of sharing and collaboration evident in every stage of the watch’s design and manufacturing. The mechanical movement inside? It is the reflection of each watch’s face.

Respectful Sharing

Giving this creativity free rein is the shared ethos of TAOS and Atelier Olivier Vaucher, marked by their supportive attitude. “There has always been a nurturing atmosphere at the Atelier,” says Dominique Vaucher. “We’re surrounded by wonderful people. Every talent is given a voice, each expressing their uniqueness and sharing their particular savoir-faire.”

Collegiality and openness are essential for individual talents to flourish, of course, but also for the creative process to take hold and lead to great creations. Dominique Vaucher continues: “It’s through dialogue that we get the best out of each technique. That’s we sustain our passion for the craft, through the ‘lifespark’ of each and every one in the team.”

Noble Drive

Each timepiece produced by TAOS houses the same movement. Under the supervision of Olivier Gaud, a passionate watchmaker and the CEO of TAOS, the Swiss movement manufacturer Télôs, at TAOS’s express request, created the exclusive self-winding caliber VOP318. Among its many virtues, a comfortable power reserve of around 72 hours.

Its initial specification had a truly unconventional constraint: the surface of its bridges must provide the canvas for the most elaborate engraving imaginable. Thicknesses, shapes, cut-outs – every aspect was designed with the engraver’s chisel in mind as it navigating its mere millimeters in diameter. As a result, the inside of each watch offers a spectacle on a par with what can be seen on the dial side.

Discerning Detail

Delivered in their raw form, the movement’s components are individually engraved, chamfered and satin-finished by hand at Atelier Olivier Vaucher – the foundations of a network of rosettes and motifs inspired by the movement’s inner workings. The oscillating weight operates beneath the case back, and its visible part – the arms – are beveled and satin-finished by hand in the watchmaking tradition.

Engraving a single complete caliber takes between 80 and 100 hours of meticulous work by a single craftsperson, who is responsible for their piece from receipt to delivery of the fully finished piece.

Each timepiece comes in a case, 38 mm in diameter and 10 mm thick, which is made either of 18K white gold or 5N rose gold, and, depending on the dial’s theme, set with diamonds.

Its slimness enhances the watch’s elegance, complementing the dial’s aesthetics. The detailed lugs, precise angles, sloping bezel, and curved case back all combine to showcase each creation, allowing the design to first stand out and then subtly recede.

TAOS Inaugural Collection 2024 Technical Information

Names of the 7 models:

• TAOS ‘Euphorie’ – Unique Piece
• TAOS ‘Envol Bleu’ – Unique Piece
• TAOS ‘Envol Rouge’ – Unique Piece
• TAOS ‘Floréal’ – Unique Piece
• TAOS ‘Ondes’ – Unique Piece
• TAOS ‘Broderies’ – Unique Piece
• TAOS ‘Kaleidoscope’ – Unique Piece

Dials:

• ‘Euphorie’: Red, orange and black dominant

Grand Feu paillonné enamel – overlay of paillons and enamel

Multiple layers, multiple firings

• ‘Envol Bleu’: Blue dominant

Hand-engraving under enamel, hand engraving on enamel, paillonné enamel, and diamond setting

Multiple layers, multiple firings

• ‘Envol Rouge’: Red and orange dominant at the center

Hand engraving under enamel, hand engraving on enamel, paillonné enamel, and diamond setting

Multiple layers, multiple firings

• ‘Floréal’: Silver, blue and pink dominant

Email on silver-leaf paillons, cloisonné enamel, hand-engraved mother-of-pearl, miniature painting on mother-of-pearl, and gem-setting

• ‘Ondes’: White dominant

Engraving on mother-of-pearl on multiple layers; patterns echo the engraving on the movement

• ‘Broderies’: Gold and white dominant

Strands of enamel drawn and laid in floral patterns, embroidery-like, on the dial, with gem-setting

• ‘Kaleidoscope’: Blue and green dominant

Stone mosaic inlay, engraved mother-of-pearl center, and engraved motif in white gold

• Hours and minutes indication

Gold hands; leaf-shaped, slightly curved, and mirror-polished

Case:

• 18K white gold (5N rose gold for ‘Euphorie’ and ‘Envol Rouge’)
• Diameter: 38mm
• Thickness: 10mm
• ‘Envol Bleu’, ‘Envol Rouge’ and ‘Floréal’: diamond-set lugs
• ‘Broderies’: diamond-set bezel and lugs

Caliber:

• VOP318, developed exclusively by Télôs (La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland) for TAOS
• Self-winding Automatic double-barrel winding shown in parallel
• Exclusive TAOS hand decorations by Atelier Olivier Vaucher, Geneva
• Invisible oscillating weight, concealed in the case
• Power reserve: approx. 72 hours
• Diameter: 30.40 mm
• Thickness: 4.20mm
• Frequency: 4 Hz
• 26 rubies

Straps:

• Blue, chocolate, or green calfskin, alligator pattern

Hand-sewn in Geneva, visible saddle stitching

• Beige nubuck leather on ‘Broderies’, visible saddle stitching
• 18K pin buckle, exclusive TAOS design

Retail Price, excl. VAT (please indicate “Price on request” for press publications, social networks):

• TAOS ‘Euphorie’              120,000 CHF
• TAOS ‘Envol Bleu’            140,000 CHF
• TAOS ‘Envol Rouge’        140’000 CHF
• TAOS ‘Floréal’                   140,000 CHF
• TAOS ‘Ondes’                   110,000 CHF
• TAOS ‘Broderies’             150,000 CHF
• TAOS ‘Kaleidoscope’      130,000 CHF

***

Bios
Olivier Gaud
Olivier Vaucher
Dominique Vaucher

Olivier Gaud – CEO, TAOS

Olivier Gaud, born in Switzerland in 1985, comes from a family background where commerce and an appreciation of fine objects have marked his upbringing. The son of a coffee merchant and an antique dealer, Olivier grew up near Geneva, in a village on the shores of Lake Geneva. His academic journey, nurtured in this rich cultural tapestry, eventually led him to the prestigious Haute École de Gestion, where he specialized in commodities trading.

Yet, it was the captivating realm of watchmaking that truly won Olivier’s heart as he turned 20. His enthusiasm for the craft was profoundly influenced and expanded through numerous pivotal encounters, notably a significant meeting with Philippe Cantin – an esteemed former collaborator of Svend Andersen and a respected professor at the Geneva School of Watchmaking – whom he met at Christie’s. Following his graduation, Olivier embarked on a prestigious career at the renowned Geneva auction house. Starting as a viewing assistant before progressing to the role of viewing manager, he spent seven years opening and closely examining thousands of watches and contributing to the production of auction catalogs.

Philippe Cantin encouraged him to get hands-on, and thus Olivier Gaud found himself spending every evening at his small watchmaker’s bench at home, and every Tuesday night under Cantin’s guidance, repairing and disassembling watches he had picked up at flea markets, all the while taking watchmaking courses at the Ifage adult education institute in Geneva. By day, he worked at Apple in Geneva, fixing Macs and training the after-sales service teams. There, he honed his technical expertise and approach to customer service. He reflects on this period as the foundation of his learning, driven by heart and passion.

In 2016, a family turning point led him to London, where he joined the after-sales service team at the Cartier boutique on New Bond Street. There, immersed in an environment that demanded precision, rigor, and excellence, he refined his understanding of serving a discerning international clientele. After two years, the anticipation of a joyous new arrival prompted Olivier and his wife to return to Geneva. Thanks to internal mobility within the Richemont group, he joined Vacheron Constantin in their international after-sales service. In this role, he managed the repairs of exceptional pieces – those too complex or rare to be handled locally in the markets  thereby merging his experience from Christie’s with a sharp insight into the collector and secondary markets.

At Vacheron Constantin, he quickly made himself indispensable – easing the watchmakers’ workload by becoming a visitor guide at the Geneva manufacture. Thanks to his extensive knowledge of horology and its mechanisms, and to his fluency in English, he was often on the frontline, welcoming visitors and clients, and sharing with them his passion for watchmaking.

In 2020, Cartier recruited him as the coordinator for the Swiss market, a role in which he was responsible for managing supply, product visibility, merchandising, and events across the brand’s 23 sales points in Switzerland. It was in 2021, as the world emerged from the Covid crisis, that he decided to leave his position and strike out on his own, creating OLIGO – the name is derived from the nickname he had been known by “since he was a toddler,” in fact a phonetic contraction of his full name). OLIGO is a local brand of eco-friendly designer watches with a magical touch : the hands appear to be floating in space.

OLIGO quickly became a success, captivating an international clientele across generations with its refreshing approach to Swiss horology. Around the same time, he met Olivier and Dominique Vaucher. Together, they began collaborating on various projects and envisioned the creation of an independent watch brand, one grounded in free creativity and the celebration of Métiers d’Art, the traditional crafts and techniques employed in watch decoration, involving skills like engraving, enameling, lacquering, and gem setting. Olivier Gaud’s journey from his school days in Geneva to establishing his own brand illustrates a life driven by passion and a profound respect for the craft of watchmaking.

Olivier Vaucher – Partner, TAOS

Olivier Vaucher continues to uphold and evolve the art of engraving as traditionally practiced in the Swiss watchmaking industry. Inventive and bold, he has also mastered new crafts related to decoration. Concurrently, Vaucher has developed innovative manufacturing processes using cutting-edge technologies to create unique types of ornamentation. Passionate about his art, he maintains a pioneering spirit, and his creations are frequently cited as references.

Watchmaking runs in the family

Born in 1954 in Neuchâtel, Switzerland, his roots lie in Fleurier, a charming town nestled in the Jura Mountains, a bastion of watchmaking still thriving to this day. His family, among the oldest in the Swiss watchmaking tradition, has been crafting timepieces since the 18th century. The Vaucher family, along with the Bovets and Dimiers, made a name for themselves by exporting their exquisite watches all the way to China. Olivier’s father, a skilled watchmaker-prototypist, was also a painter. Evenings at the Vaucher household were magical, with Édouard Vaucher meticulously repairing his employer, Mr. Robert’s, collection of mechanical songbirds under the watchful and wonder-filled eyes of young Olivier. This early exposure to the artistry and precision of timekeeping deeply influenced the future artist-entrepreneur from his very childhood.

The hand, that most precious tool

Olivier Vaucher grew up in Chézard, just a few kilometers from Neuchâtel. There, he rubbed shoulders with a number of craftsmen whose trades intrigued him: a potter, a tinsmith, an organ builder, an engine-turner, an engraver, and even a horticulturist. These artisans instilled in him an appreciation for ‘living crafts,’ those in which the human hand is the most precious tool. Alongside this, his interest in the art of watchmaking continued to grow. He had found his path.

However, Olivier Vaucher is fully aware that the watch industry is undergoing a difficult phase. In the 1970s, the Swiss watchmaking sector faced a crisis, primarily due to the rapid rise of quartz watches, which were more accurate and affordable. He adapted his goals and turned toward engraving, viewing it as a viable alternative. This path would allow him to maintain a connection with the industry while also catering to a diverse range of clients. At the age of 19, Olivier Vaucher earned his diploma in hand engraving from the School of Applied Arts in La Chaux-de-Fonds. His son Dorian, too, would later reconnect with the watchmaking tradition, not as a watchmaker-farmer but as a watchmaker-psychologist!

A workshop in Geneva

Olivier Vaucher then moved to Geneva, where he enjoyed the cosmopolitan and international atmosphere. In 1974, he was hired by Blum et Züllig, the best engraving studio in the city. There, he completed his apprenticeship, learning the practices, habits and customs of the profession. Independent and daring, Olivier Vaucher set up his own business four years later. From the outset, his taste for novelty and experimentation led him to consider his role as company director from a more personal and disruptive angle. As a result, Olivier Vaucher prefers to recruit atypical and sometimes unrelated profiles. As he trains them, he learns from their own, different visions and perspectives. The spirit is collaborative, with a shared credo: “to inform the material is to give it life.” Initially, his workshop worked with major watchmakers, for whom he began by engraving skeleton movements and case decorations. At the same time, jewelry workshops and local stores commissioned him to personalize jewelry, signet rings and box bottoms.

Olivier Vaucher then moved to Geneva, drawn by its cosmopolitan and international vibe. In 1974, he was hired by the city’s premier engraving workshop, Blum and Züllig, where he further honed his craft by familiarizing himself with the practices, customs, and traditions of the profession. Independent and bold, Vaucher struck out on his own four years later. From the outset, his penchant for innovation and experimentation shaped his approach to business leadership in a more personal and disruptive way. Vaucher thus favored hiring unconventional profiles, sometimes unrelated to the trade, whom he would train and from whom he would gain diverse perspectives. He adopted a motto that would become his credo: “To inform the material is to give it life.” His workshop was off to a strong start, collaborating with major watchmaking houses, for whom he was soon engraving skeleton movements and case decorations. Jewelry workshops and local stores, too, commissioned him to personalize items such as jewelry, signet rings and watch cases.

The renaissance of fine artistic crafts

At the turn of the millennium, high-end watchmaking underwent a transformation, rediscovering and revitalizing traditional decorative crafts. Olivier Vaucher is totally committed to this renaissance. Giving free rein to his ideas, he revives ancient techniques that had nearly vanished or had never been adapted for use in watchmaking. He would be the first to explore of shaded enamel, inspired by the technique of lithophany technique developed by porcelain artists in Limoges.

A new artistic dimension

In 2003, Olivier Vaucher was joined by Dominique Fouquet, an artist and painter who would soon become Olivier’s partner and take his name. Initially, Dominique Vaucher brought a new, intriguingly subtle sensitivity and perspective to the workshop’s creations, particularly through her use of color. However, she soon would become fully involved in the company’s operations. Olivier and Dominique now work together to uphold an ever higher level of craftsmanship and quality. On a parallel track to his creative work in designing and making dials, Olivier Vaucher also began exploring new ways to blend technology and artistic expression, such as creating relief micro-sculptures on watch faces. By 2005, he had acquired a number of high-tech machinery to optimize certain manufacturing processes and develop repeatability in certain operations, like roughing stages. These tools would also pave the way for new types of decorations, such as engraving on glass, sapphire and ceramics.

Dominique Vaucher – Partner, TAOS

On her mother’s side, Dominique Vaucher descends from a line of multi-talented artists of Swiss origin who settled in Paris. The three brothers, Guillaume, Félix and Fréderic Régamey, son of miniaturist and lithographer Guillaume Régamey, born in Geneva in 1814, were all painters, illustrators, watercolorists, engravers, and caricaturists. Félix Régamey’s works were recently exhibited at the Musée Guimet in Paris from December 2016 to March 2017, chronicling the extensive travels of Émile Guimet and Félix Régamey in Asia, and particularly in Japan, which inspired the book Promenade japonaise (A Japanese stroll). A small sketch he made of his two friends, Verlaine and Rimbaud, visiting him in his London studio, is especially well-known. Dominique thus grew up in an environment where creative expression was a part of daily life. Trained in the arts, Dominique learned, over time, to express her talent through various techniques and mediums. From frescoes, mural paintings, and trompe-l’œil, she successfully transitioned to oil painting. Her meeting with Olivier Vaucher in 2003 led her to create works in very small formats. There again, she infused her sensitivity and, together with the man who would become her husband, developed a decidedly artistic and vibrant approach to the crafts associated with watchmaking.

Bound for art

Dominique (née Massonnat) grew up in Grenoble, the city where she was born on March 25, 1955. From an early age, she found joy in expressing herself creatively. Her mother, who came from a family of artists, painted and engraved for pleasure and encouraged her on this path, which became the guiding thread of her life. She studied at the Visual Arts School in Aix-en-Provence, a natural progression from her favorite pastime.  Graduating at 24, Dominique Massonnat also became a young mother. Her second daughter was born two years later.

Optical illusions

While she was working as a teacher, she received an offer for an unusual project: to create a large mural. The outcome was as successful as it was unexpected: her work was appreciated, and more commissions soon followed. At the time optical illusions were popular, as was concealing walls behind false marble and other artifices reproducing various worlds. Dominique saw a future in it and trained in airbrush techniques in Paris. However, she didn’t find the work as satisfying as she had expected, and soon returned to her brushes, her talents as a large-format painter continuing to be in demand. Around the same time, the young artist had a chance to explore the world of wine, offering ‘Beaujolais Nouveau’ labels a modern and unexpected twist. Her abstract designs quickly captivated an enthusiastic audience.

Mastering mediums

She then partnered with an interior architect, and their venture quickly thrives, enabling her to learn a new technique: oil painting. In this medium, she honed her mastery over light effects, which she considered essential. The work of English painter Ken Howard would become a strong influence. Meanwhile, having settled in Cannes, she depicted the places and landmarks that contributed to the city’s allure. Rather than merely paying tribute to these sites, she wanted to offer a fresh take on their inherent beauty, which is often overshadowed by their history. Noteworthy subjects include the beach at the Hotel Martinez and the entrance of the Carlton. At this point, still emerging in this artistic field, Dominique, now married under the name Fouquet, began selling her first works through a young local antiques dealer, followed by the Gantois gallery, then established in Cannes.

Within a month her paintings had attracted buyers. The start was so successful that Dominique was able to devote herself entirely to her art. She also began making regular trips to Geneva, a city that would change the course of her life. Indeed, a twist of fate cut short her budding career as an artist on the French Riviera. Now established in Geneva, the artist had to adapt. Taking on a side job helped her to stabilize her situation and reflect on her future. It was during this period that she met Olivier Vaucher, with whom she formed a close friendship. Together, they experimented with techniques and decorations for watch dials. Dominique gained hands-on experience in watchmaking and its methods, to which she brought her own vision and experience as an artist.

A perfect pairing

By 2005, Dominique and Olivier were living and working together, dedicated to innovating and improving the artistic quality of traditional decorative crafts in watchmaking. Dominique played an active role in the development of the workshop. She advocated for the acquisition of advanced machinery to handle the rough work, so that the artisan-craftspeople in the workshop could focus on the more delicate tasks. She also learned to master the techniques of miniature painting and enameling. Once again, Dominique impressed those around her with the quality of her stroke and her approach to colors and light.

For the love of the gesture

A purist at heart, Dominique Vaucher works for the love of the gesture, that ultimately human element of technique. Through her work, she seeks to imbue creations with a spark of life that might otherwise be missing. She loves the touch and feel of materials, always seeking their best application. Dominique also places a high value on teamwork, and sees collaboration and sharing as fundamental values in achieving excellence.