Fergus Nash
Lack of sleep, hunger and the struggle to pull a suitcase without falling over are commonplace when flying into a new city late at night, but one of the few redeeming features is the view of the illuminated cityscape. Seeing streets and landscapes teeming with life is always an awe-inspiring reminder of humanity’s technological progress. Vacheron Constantin’s Métiers d’Art Villes Lumières collection pays tribute to this unique landscape, with each model depicting one of the world’s great cities.
Originally launched in 2016 with views of Geneva, Paris and New York, the collection has now been expanded to include Beijing and Tokyo. To celebrate the new Vacheron Constantin flagship store in Sydney, a Ville Lumiere piece was created featuring a striking aerial view of Sydney stretching from Darlinghurst in the south, across the Sydney Harbour Bridge and into Neutral Bay. Aside from the shocking news that Sydney is finally opening a Vacheron Constantin boutique, it is quite an honor to be recognised as a great romantic city by such a prestigious brand.
In this video, Andrew strolls through the streets of Paris with Christian Selmoni, Vacheron Constantin’s Heritage & Style Director. Discussing the new pieces, Christian showcases the work of Japanese artisan Yoko Imai. The Ville Lumiere collection is her masterpiece, where she uses the smallest calligraphy brush imaginable to paint city lights made of gold, platinum and diamond powder, giving them an unparalleled brilliance. Between 20,000 and 50,000 individual dots make for an intense and dazzling display, with incredible depth when viewed from a low angle. Completing this work of art is a 40mm white gold case and a Calibre 2460 movement with a 22K gold rotor and a 40-hour power reserve.
