News: Vacheron Constantin Elégance Sartoriale
Nothing enhances a smart watch like some smart threads (and vice versa), so with its new Elégance Sartoriale collection, Vacheron Constantin has cut out the middle man and combined the two. The brand has teamed up with Vitale Barberis Canonico, one of the oldest fine fabric manufacturers in the world, to create an elegant tribute to sartorialism.
The renowned watch brand has recreated five historical men’s fabric patterns to decorate the dials of the fashion-focused collection: Prince of Wales check, herringbone, windowpane check, pinstripe and tartan. Each pattern has been laboriously reproduced in enamel by the brand’s skilled guillocheurs, which is no mean feat considering the complex nature of enamel work.
A lengthy period of time was spent researching and experimenting to achieve the woven cloth effect on the dials with tenth of a millimetre precision. The designs are finished with a coat of grand feu enamel, and on close inspection, you’ll find a thin, intricately gadrooned rim around dial, reminiscent of the hem of a garment.
The dials come in an array of vibrant colours—from the raspberry red of the Prince of Wales check, to the royal blue of the tartan—and are offset by a subdial at 3 o’clock. Depending on the watch, the gold subdial features either a paisley, floral or geometrical pocket square design. The Roman numeral indices are hand painted onto a mother of pearl band, with a distinct resemblance to the buttons on a man’s shirt.
While the dial is a dedication to men’s fashion, the caseback represents the watchmaking skill of Vacheron Constantin. The watches are powered by the manual in-house calibre 1400, which is visible through a small open-worked panel and bears the Geneva seal.
