HISTORY IN THE MAKING

The partnership between Vacheron Constantin and the Louvre has led to an extraordinary series of Métiers d’Art watches dedicated to great ancient civilisations. Allyson Klass was in Paris for the launch of four timepieces that are directly inspired by exceptional masterpieces on display at the museum.

- Allyson Klass

Following a pandemic-induced delay earlier in January, Vacheron Constantin finally debuted its eagerly awaited Métiers d’Art series of timepieces inspired by historical masterpieces from the Louvre, with which it has partnered in the conceptualisation and design. Held in one of the most beautiful months of the year in Paris, the end-May launch culminated in a gala dinner for 200 VIPs and media from around the world that was held under the Louvre’s iconic glass pyramid.

While the grand affair was highly anticipated, the cherry on the cake was a surprise private tour of the Louvre. Organised on a Tuesday when the museum is closed, the exclusive visit was reserved for media and Vacheron Constantin staff. After being ushered into what seemed like the museum’s back entrance for the once-in-a-lifetime excursion, we walked in groups through the museum’s many vast halls of awe-inspiring exhibits.

Devoid of the usual swarms of visitors (the Louvre receives some 25,000 a day), each group – accompanied by a dedicated guide who gave bite-sized history lessons along the way – was led to various sections that housed the artefacts and the corresponding timepiece. A maison representative would then introduce the creation and its inspiration at each of the four locations.

As part of a partnership with the Louvre initiated in 2019, Vacheron Constantin joined forces with the museum’s experts to create a quartet of timepieces representative of four eras that honour the great civilisations of antiquity.