Sandrine Donguy, Product & Innovation Director at Vacheron Constantin, stands as pivotal personality in the world of haute horlogerie and exceptional jewellery craftsmanship. With the unveiling of the Grand Lady Kalla, a series that pushes creative boundaries while honouring a legacy spanning nearly 270 years, Sandrine Donguy offers exclusive insight into the Maison’s pursuit of elegance, versatility, and technical excellence.
What can you tell us about the history of jewellery watches at Vacheron Constantin?
From the first women’s pocket watches created by the Maison at the end of the 18th century to contemporary wristwatches, Vacheron Constantin has a fascinating history of jewellery watches – brimming with creativity, innovation and expertise. By considering artistic sensibilities, aesthetic trends and technical developments in the context of changing social norms and customs, it has captured the constantly evolving spirit of the times while fulfilling feminine expectations and desires. The Maison’s private collection includes an 1812 pocket watch with a bezel adorned with pearls, complemented by a finely chased and engraved caseback. A 1901 pendant brooch watch embellished with diamond-set volutes and a dainty bar illustrates the flowering of creativity during the Art Nouveau period and a rectangular platinum and diamond model with angled corners presented in 1911 underlines Vacheron Constantin‘s inventiveness.
How did the Maison interpret the aesthetic revolution represented by Art Deco?
The period from the mid-1920s onwards was a time of effervescent creativity for Vacheron Constantin as it embraced the aesthetic codes showcased by the 1925 International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts held in Paris in 1925. (The term Art Deco, derived from the exhibition’s original name in French – Exposition internationale des arts décoratifs et industriels modernes – was coined by the British art historian Bevis Hillier in the late 1960s.)
Watch silhouettes broke free from previous conventions. The hunter-type cases on enamelled chains prevalent at the turn of the century gave way to sculptural forms, rigorous lines and pure colour palettes. Cases were oval, rectangular, square or asymmetrical in shape, generally set with stones in two-tone variations. This is strikingly illustrated by a 1923 Vacheron Constantin timepiece in the private collection, with a white gold case and hexagonal dial set with diamonds and sapphires. Alongside such jewelled watches the Maison created more discreet models designed for women who wanted to wear the time on an everyday basis as well as for social occasions. While this period marked women’s almost complete transition to wristwatches, Vacheron Constantin continued to create a number of pocket watches, among them a 1929 ‘surprise’ watch in white gold set with 18 cabochon-cut rubies.
In what way did precious stones become an essential element of women’s watches?
Diamonds and coloured gemstones were no longer used solely to emphasise the curve of a bezel, or an engraved or enamelled motif. On jewellery watches created by the Maison from the 1920s onwards, precious gemstones formed an integral part of the design. Cases became as discreet as possible to provide a backdrop that enabled the majestically set gems to display their brilliance to the full. The Kalla line clearly belongs to this celebration of precious stones.