Vacheron Constantin introduces Métiers d’Art – Tribute to the Quest of Time

Celebrating its 270-year quest for excellence, Vacheron Constantin introduces the technically and aesthetically innovative Métiers d’Art – Tribute to the Quest of Time. The double-sided wristwatch, which took three years of development, is powered by the new manually wound Manufacture movement, Calibre 3670 and is the subject of four patent applications. The front dial features a human figure whose arms indicate the time in a double-retrograde display, which is notable for enabling two different viewings: on demand and continuous.  

Enhanced by a blend of traditional artistic crafts and modern decorative techniques, the figure is set against a backdrop representing the constellations as seen from Geneva on the day of the Maison’s founding in 1755. It is complemented by a double retrograde power reserve indicator and a 3D precision moon phase with age of the moon. The reverse dial features a sky chart that displays the sidereal day and tracks the constellations in real time, accurate to one day of variation in 9,130 years. Conceived as an homage to the 270th-anniversary astronomical clock La Quête du Temps, Métiers d’Art – Tribute to the Quest of Time is presented in a 43mm white gold case and offered in a limited edition of 20 pieces. 

A new and technically innovative calibre 

The Métiers d’Art – Tribute to the Quest of Time watch encapsulates Vacheron Constantin‘s continuous quest to push the boundaries of mechanics to create art and beauty. With the new manually wound Calibre 3670 harnessing the Maison’s deep technical savoir-faire, the watch was three years in development and is the subject of four patent applications: 

• Double power reserve display: indicating the six-day power reserve in two sequential displays – from 6 to 3 and from 3 to 0 
• Governor for the retrograde time displays: solving the classical problem of synchronisation in retrograde displays caused by the hour and minute hands progressing at different speeds. This mechanism ensures that, for example at 11:59, when the two hands return to 00:00 or 12:00, they jump in perfect unison 
• Moon phases and age: showing the exact age of the moon in relation to its phase. The spherical 3D moon is encircled by a ring marked with the age of the moon in days and both elements rotate together over a period of 29.5 days 
• Moon correction: enabling manual adjustment of the moon display at any time of day without damaging the mechanism or disrupting the operation of the watch 

The human figure uses its arms to indicate the hours and minutes in a retrograde display. While this aesthetic spirit was inspired by the 1930 ‘Bras en l’Air’ pocket watch, the new watch owes a key difference to technical innovation: while the earlier timepiece shows the time only on demand, with the hands otherwise resting in their neutral position, the Métiers d’Art watch allows users to choose between two modes of time display: ‘standby’ and ‘active’. The complex technical solution to making this possible owes a direct debt to the groundbreaking innovation of the Twin Beat Perpetual Calendar of 2019 (Calibre 3610 QP), with its standby and active modes. 

When the Métiers d’Art – Tribute to the Quest of Time is in ‘active’ mode, the passage of the hours and minutes is visible at all times, with the arms functioning just like the hands on a standard watch dial. In ‘standby’ mode, with the timekeeping function running invisibly in the background, the arms of the figure remain in their neutral position until manually activated by a pusher at 10 o’clock in the case-side. After indicating the time, the arms return to neutral position when the pusher is reactivated.  

A notable feature of Calibre 3670 is the combination of a high frequency of 5 Hertz, (36,000 vibrations per hour) and three barrels that provide a power reserve of six days – also inspired by the Twin Beat Calibre 3610. The ‘dual-mode’ retrograde time display – on demand or running continuously – requires a lot of torque at the barrel and combining a long power reserve and high frequency minimises disturbance to the amplitude of the watch caused by the time display. 

Along with its technical sophistication, the 512-component calibre is a feat of miniaturisation, measuring just 34 mm (15””) x 7.8 mm. This enables it to be fitted into a case with the aesthetically elegant and very wearable proportions of 43 mm diameter by 13.58 mm height. The Poinçon de Genève certification attests to the technical quality of the whole watch, as well as its aesthetics and meticulous finishing.  

A distinctive aesthetic  

Vacheron Constantin‘s commitment to the preservation and evolution of centuries-old handcrafts is complemented by its exploration of modern decorative techniques. The artistic approach to the Métiers d’Art – Tribute to the Quest of Time watch blends craft tradition and innovation. 

The dial is dominated by a golden-coloured human figure that closely resembles the ‘Astronomer’ automaton incorporated into La Quête du Temps clock. The figure appears to be standing in the centre of the cosmos, represented by a graduated blue background decorated with a map of the stars, and a three-dimensional moon overhead. In homage to Vacheron Constantin‘s 270th anniversary, the celestial vault reproduces the constellations as they appeared above Geneva on 17 September 1755. To ensure the accuracy of the celestial map, Vacheron Constantin worked with astronomers from the Geneva Observatory, who were able to determine the precise position of each star on that date. 

The figure is flanked by two large arcs, with hours marked on the left arc and minutes on the right; beneath them, the symmetry of the dial is completed by the two arc-shaped power reserve displays on either side of the figure’s feet.  

To create this evocative artistic tableau, a variety of different and highly specialised artistic crafts were brought together in a deft marriage of traditional and modern techniques. The three-dimensional human figure is crafted in titanium with a golden PVD treatment then sandblasted with hand-patina finishing. The spherical precision 3D moon is made of titanium, hand-engraved and polished; to echo the Moon’s appearance as it cycles through its phases, one side is finished with a golden PVD treatment and the ‘dark’ side is finished with a deep blue PVD treatment. The arcs for the hour and minute scales are crafted from 18K white gold with an opaline finish, complemented by the 27 applied indexes in 18K 3N yellow gold. 

The dial is constructed from two layers of sapphire crystal. On the underside of the top crystal, the blue gradient effect and the 1755 sky chart are created by metallisation. The Vacheron Constantin logo is transfer-printed in golden powder and the power reserve indications are transfer-printed in white. The second layer of the dial is fixed beneath the first, to protect the decoration from any form of damage.  

On the back dial – where sidereal time is displayed and the movements of the constellations are tracked in real time – the celestial vault is laser-engraved onto the sapphire crystal case-back.  Blue indications are applied by metallisation, yellow indications are transfer-printed and the month names are marked by gold powder transfer. 

In the tradition of Haute Horlogerie, Vacheron Constantin pays great attention to the finishing and decoration of movement components. All 512 components of Calibre 3670 are individually finished by hand, even those that are invisible once the watch is assembled. Rather than maximising the play of light on the movement components with a finish such as Côtes de Genève, circular satin brushing was applied to the bridges on both the front and the back of the calibre. This subtle and uniform finish was chosen to reduce reflections through the transparent sapphire crystal front dial and maximise legibility of the sky chart on the back dial. Visible through the transparent sapphire crystal of the caseback, the 270th anniversary emblem is engraved on the main calibre bridge. 

Reinterpreting signature complications 

The Métiers d’Art – Tribute to the Quest of Time watch is heir to a noteworthy legacy, reinterpreting two of Vacheron Constantin‘s most renowned signatures: celestial complications and retrograde displays.  

A fascination with astronomical phenomena has been central to the Vacheron Constantin’s approach to watchmaking since it created its first watches with astronomical indications in 1755, the year of its founding. In the Maison’s continuing quest to explore new technical territory related to astronomical complications, the Métiers d’Art – Tribute to the Quest of Time watch makes reference to watches from its past, such as Les Cabinotiers Celestia (2017), with its original indication of sidereal hours and minutes by means of two superimposed sapphire discs and Les Cabinotiers Armillary tourbillon perpetual calendar Planetaria with a three-dimensional representation of the two hemispheres. 

Beyond expressing the Maison’s constantly expanding technical mastery, astronomical complications hold a profound cultural significance for Vacheron Constantin. Throughout human history, the mysteries of the night sky have held a powerful grip on the imagination. The consistent rhythms of planets and stars defined the daily cycle, the changing seasons and the progression of years, becoming the basis for concepts of time. From this fundamental understanding emerged the science of astronomy and, ultimately, the intricate craft of watchmaking. 

Over many decades, retrograde displays have become another Vacheron Constantin signature, from the 1930 ‘Bras en l’Air’ and 1937 ‘La Caravelle’ pocket watches with bi-retrograde displays to wristwatches with double-retrograde time displays, including the Mercator series introduced in 1994, the 2006 Patrimony Bi-Retrograde with retrograde dates and days, and the Retrograde Armillary Tourbillon of 2016. In 2005, with the Saint-Gervais Grande Complication watch, Calibre 2250 introduced a new form of retrograde display: a sequential bi-retrograde display of the power reserve, which is incorporated into the Métiers d’Art – Tribute to the Quest of Time watch along with the bi-retrograde indication of hours and minutes. 

With its distinctive aesthetics and innovative mechanics, Métiers d’Art – Tribute to the Quest of Time eloquently expresses Vacheron Constantin’s approach to watchmaking: capitalising on previous innovations, reinterpreting them and combining them with entirely new developments.    

INTERVIEW WITH SANDRINE DONGUY, PRODUCT & INNOVATION DIRECTOR 

Why did you choose to make the Tribute to the Quest of Time part of the Métiers d’Art collection? 
The Métiers d’Art collection, as its name suggests, is a canvas for the Maison’s savoir-faire in the age-old artistic crafts, standing as an exploration through time and civilisations. There was a strong desire to introduce an innovative complication into the collection. In terms of creativity, this watch is a singular blend of technical achievement (with four patent applications as evidence) and artistic expression.  

Which métiers d’art are used ?  
This watch was conceived with technique and savoir-faire at the service of artistic expression and blends traditional handcrafts and finishings with modern decorative techniques – the choice of technique being driven by the desired aesthetics. For example, the titanium 3D moon is hand-engraved before finishing with a bi-coloured PVD treatment; the titanium human figure was given a 3N yellow gold treatment before being sandblasted by hand to create a patina finish. 

What is the difference between the figure on this watch and the automaton on La Quête du Temps? 
While it is directly inspired by and pays homage to the automaton incorporated into the La Quête du Temps clock – in both its humanoid form and the use of its arms to indicate the time – the figure on the watch is not an automaton. Its arms are an aesthetic substitute for traditional hands and Calibre 3670 enables the time to be displayed in two ways – on demand and continuously running. An automaton, on the other hand, operates on demand and in a pre-programmed sequence of movements and La Quête du Temps has fully incorporated an automaton into a clock as a functioning element of the timekeeping mechanism.  

Vacheron Constantin Métiers d’Art – Tribute to the Quest of Time Technical Specifications

‘Poinçon de Genève’ certified timepiece. Limited and numbered edition of 20 pieces. Available only through Vacheron Constantin Boutiques 

Movement

•  Calibre 3670 
• Manually wound 
• Frequency of 5 Hertz (36,000 vph) 
• 144 hours of power reserve 
• Dimensions: 34 mm (15””) x 7.8 mm 
• 512 components, including 55 jewels 
• Indications 
  • Double retrograde hours and minutes in continuous ‘display’ and ‘standby’ mode or on demand 
  • 3D precision moon phase and age of the moon 
  • Sky chart 
  • Sidereal day 
  • Double retrograde power reserve 

Case 

• 18K white gold (750/1000) 
• 43 mm diameter x 13.58 mm thick 
• Water resistant to 3 bar 

Dial (Front) 

• Double sapphire dial 
• Three-dimensional titanium figure with golden treatment, with sandblasted patina finish 
• Titanium 3D precision moon, hand-engraved and with PVD treatment 

Dial (Back) 

• Sapphire crystal 

Hour Markers and Hands 

• Two arc-shaped appliques in 18K gold with opaline finish 
• 27 applied hour markers in 18K 3N yellow gold 

Strap 

• Dark blue alligator leather with alligator lining 
• Hand-stitched with gold thread 
• 18K white gold folding clasp