Flights Of Fancy

A quartet of unique Vacheron Constantin timepieces puts an artistic spin on the term ‘bird watching’.

- Celine Yap

Art and nature have always inspired Vacheron Constantin, particularly in its métiers d’arts where the timepieces are not only mechanically astounding but also artistically moving. With La Musique du Temps as the theme in 2020, the manufacture created numerous pieces celebrating the musical nature of time, although it’s in Les Cabinotiers – The Singing Birds where we find a less direct, rather more painterly tribute.

Four one-of-a-kind pieces, each depicting a songbird, are realised in exquisite champlevé enamel with touches of miniature painting, the latter known also as the Geneva technique. A hummingbird, a blue jay, a blue tit or a robin grace the top of a two-tiered dial set in bucolic scenes and outlined with gold champlevé engraved by hand. Sprightly and full of life, they are an absolute delight.