The Precious Dust line of the
Vacheron Constantin Metiers d`Art collection is aptly named. Vacheron Constantin is world renowned for its decorative applied arts. These watches are less time pieces and more pieces of art that you wear on your wrist. The telling of time is just a beneficial side effect of looking at these beautiful works of art.
The Precious Dust watches are made using an ancient Japanese technique called Maki-e, which literally translates to sprinkled picture. The watch face is prepared by an artist with adhesive paints and then gold and silver dust is sprinkled onto the image. The dust adheres to the watch face in the appropriate spots and a delicate image is born. The right Maki-e artist can bring a small landscape, such as the face of a watch, to life. Vacheron Constantin has found the right Maki-e artists.
These simple watches let the Maki-e image stand alone. There is no bezel and the case is made of a simple rose gold. The shape is simple and circular in order to draw your attention to the exquisite image inside the watch face. There is a simple and diminutive crown off to the right as not to defer your attention from the true center of the piece. The watches strap is a classic black with an alligator print just what you`d expect from
men`s watches. The watch is equipped with a non-reflective sapphire crystal surface so that the image isn`t blurred by the light of the day. The subtle, yet classic composition of this watch is designed to highlight the incredible Maki-e image.
The watch itself is small and sits diminutively inside the image. It is transparent so that you can see the mechanism that drives it. It sits there reminding you that, yes; you are actually looking at a functional time piece, not just an ethereal image. The watch is accurate, but not precise. There are no numerals to confuse the eye.
Each watch is handcrafted with its own unique Maki-e design. You may get a watch with brilliant gold and silver leaves or you may choose a misty night sky complete with a glowing silver moon. No matter which image you choose you will not be let down by its brilliant craftsmanship. Everything draws the eye to the minute details in the watch`s image. These watches are designed to impress with the ancient art of Maki-e.
