Vacheron Constantin is the latest brand to enter the museum orbit

While Cartier, Breguet and Louis Vuitton already have experience of museums, for Vacheron Constantin, the exhibition that runs until August 14^th at the National Museum of Singapore is very much a first. The need to anchor an expertise in a historic, social and artistic legacy, and the desire to secure recognition for the watchmaker’s centuries-old art are just two of the reasons which can bring watch manufacturers and cultural establishments together. Exhibitions such as these contribute a new dimension to true luxury – and more importantly the artisans that keep its expertise alive – and endorse its values at a time when well-stuffed wallets and bank accounts seem to have taken over as the ultimate reference.

Coming in the aftermath of financial crisis and the need to “take time to think,” the exhibition which the National Museum of Singapore is presenting in partnership with Vacheron Constantin goes beyond the company’s own achievements; its tenor shows that this was a well-chosen rationale.

An illustration of many talents

Vacheron Constantin finds its place naturally within the history of Genevan watchmaking, its beginnings, development and exploits, all of which are chronicled in the Singapore exhibition. This is a legitimate and enviable place too, knowing that the firm has been a part of Genevan watchmaking since 1755. “Over the course of this journey, we come to realise that the long history of watchmaking is not only a concentration of technical progress and innovation but that it also reflects the evolution of time, of history in general, trends and a way of life,” observes Chor Linn, director of the National Museum of Singapore.

“This first major exhibition lays the beginnings of a long journey into the cultural richness of our history, which echoes that of Haute Horlogerie,” says Juan-Carlos Torres, Chief Executive of Vacheron Constantin. “This history remains that of one of the finest demonstrations of a community working together, where every timepiece springs from a symbiosis of talents and the men and women who combine their expertise in a single endeavour. It is our duty to share this heritage, which leaves an invaluable footprint on history.”

Looking back to build the future

Devised as an initiatory journey, dominated by the spirit of the eighteenth century’s artisans cabinotiers (there is a replica period workshop), the exhibition explores the development of the measurement of time, its crafts and artistic influences: a trilogy that defines the history of Vacheron Constantin. Some 180 timepieces from Vacheron Constantin’s heritage are displayed, including the first pocket watch made by the founder of the firm, inscribed “J:M: Vacheron à Genève” and dating from 1755, the year of its establishment. Another outstanding piece is a pocket watch from 1923 which expresses the combined talent of the company’s watchmakers, enamellers and engravers. The case-back is adorned with a superb detailed reproduction of Nicolas Poussin’s famous painting The Arcadian Shepherds in grand feu enamel, a form of enamelling that was characteristic of Geneva. The exhibition is equally exceptional for the archive documents it presents, and for the machines and tools which have accompanied the watchmaker’s art through the centuries.

“The farther back you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see,” declared Winston Churchill. In the light of its 255-year history, and as the exhibition in Singapore confirms, Vacheron Constantin can look a very long way back… which bodes well for the future too.

Article published in WtheJournal.com