There's a good reason why Vacheron Constantin's new exhibition in Shanghai is called "the Anatomy of Beauty".
The manufacture is inviting fans of watchmaking to "dissect" the details of twelve showcased exhibits and study their structures, figuratively, of course, in order to gain an understanding of what makes these particular pieces true masterpieces.
This is also an invitation to immerse yourself in the history of watches: the exhibition features watches which demonstrate changes in style following a shift in the clientele of eminent watchmakers, who went from being members of the aristocracy to a new bourgeoisie, which remains so to this day.
These new clients didn't want consensual "discreet luxury", they were primarily interested in watches which would reflect their individual style. The oldest exhibit on show is a pocket watch from the year 1826.
Arabesques and a lyre appear in relief, where the outside of the solid yellow-gold case is hollowed out, polished, and the motifs are filled with white and black Grand Feu enamel. Another example of enameling on a pocket watch can be seen on the model from the year 1947 with its “Les Amoureux” enamel painting.
It was created by Carlo Poluzzi (1899-1978), who's considered one of the most prominent enamel painters of the 20th century. Fans of Vacheron Constantin will be familiar with another pocket-watch model created by this enameller for the watch brand: a watch inspired by a painting called "the Smokers" by Adriaen Brouwer.
The traditions forged by Poluzzi are kept alive today by enameller Anita Porchet, who transferred the "Girl with a Pearl Earring" oil painting by Johannes Vermeer from the canvas to a pocket watch (the project was presented in 2021).
The idea of transferring masterpieces from museum collections onto watches is further developed on pieces from the Métiers d'Art collection which arrived in Shanghai. This is where you can see a watch from the Métiers d'Art “Les Masques” collection.
These watches depict masks from the Genevan Barbier-Mueller Museum, which was founded by a family of collectors who amassed traditional works of art, featuring items from African and Asian civilizations (the project was completed in 2007-2009).
Another model on show reproduces the frescos on the ceiling painted by Marc Chagall at the Opéra Garnier in Paris (2010). You can also see a wristwatch version of the riders by Maurits Cornelis Escher (2014).
Fans of skeletonized watch movements won't be disappointed either. The exhibition allows you to compare the presentation of a skeletonized movement in a from 1926 pocket watch inspired by the style of Art Deco and the Malte Tourbillon skeleton wristwatch in the platinum tonneau (barrel-shaped) case made in 2014.