Baroque and instantly recognizable, the Vacheron Constantin Métiers d’Art Mécaniques Gravées is a remarkable interpretation of the 14-day power reserve tourbillon watch revealed some years back. In Vacheron Constantin’s press document on the release of this watch, a specific point is made about how this is a return to “roots” on the occasion of the manufacture’s 260th anniversary but for our part, we think the house Jean-Marc built in 1755 has been remarkably true to its roots. A boutique exclusive, the defining characteristic here is the hand-engraved acanthus leaf motif on the movement, including the functional elements. The engraving here involves hollowing out parts that are already some 0.35mm thick, going up to a depth of 0.2mm. Just do the math here and you can get an idea of the amount of care the artisans have to exercise to avoid compromising the movement. Contrast this piece with the open-worked version and the original to get an idea of the kind of new work that went into this model in particular. In a 41mm platinum 950 case, this watch has a sapphire crystal central dial and comes with a magnifying glass so that you can better appreciate the finer details.
