
Time has no hold over these crafts in which high demands and noble challenges are crystallised by a tireless pursuit of excellence, audacity and passion. In both watchmaking and opera, the final accomplishment is a quintessentially human story imbued with numerous faithfully perpetuated and shared expressions of expertise. An art in which technical and aesthetic mastery is orchestrated by a variety of professions. As a patron of the Paris National Opera for the past four years, the watch manufacturer shares with this institution the art of precision, of constant renewal and of wonderment. Music, opera and ballet are all fields in which human beings, their talent and their personality set the finishing touch to the beauty of the original work. Such a philosophy was bound to nurture natural affinities between Vacheron Constantin and the world of the arts. It is a mirror of culture and history, a work of art stemming from a wealth of human encounters such as that between Jean-Marc Vacheron and his apprentice in 1755 between the founder's grandson and François Constantin in 1819 and, down through the ages, those of all the passionate dedicated artists, watchmaking craftsmen, enamellers, gem-setters and engraving who are the enduring lifeblood of the Manufacture. In this respect, a Vacheron Constantin watch is far more than merely an instrument to read off and measure time. It embodies perfect, vibrant and creative symbiosis that has consistently nurtured the Vacheron Constantin philosophy a perpetual technical and aesthetic exploration that the House continues to cultivate through expertise built up and passed on from generation to generation, and a breed of creativity firmly focused on innovation. This delightful trilogy interweaves past, present and future in a manner that etches these works into eternity. The 14 other watches will be created over the next two years, and each will be dedicated to one of the composers appearing in Chagall's monumental work.

The timepiece features a faithful reproduction of the entire Chagall ceiling, using the time-honoured Geneva technique of grand feu enamelled miniature painting.
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This one-of-a-kind creation was presented at the gala evening held in the Palais Garnier on November 20th 2010 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Association pour le Rayonnement de l'Opéra National de Paris (AROP), the Friends of the Paris Opera & Ballet.

The first watch in the Métiers d'Art – Chagall & L'Opéra de Paris collection is entitled “Tribute to famous composers”. Vacheron Constantin has created an exceptional collection of 15 one-of-a-kind models in tribute to the greatest composers, the same artists who inspired Marc Chagall for his monumental fresco painting adorning the ceiling of the Garnier Opera House. This partnership uniting time, art and culture, is distinguished by a masterful demonstration of the expertise cultivated by the oldest watch manufacturer, having enjoyed uninterrupted activity since its founding in 1755. When it became a patron of the Paris National Opera in 2007, the Manufacture Vacheron Constantin highlighted one of the values it has sought to perpetuate for over 250 years: the hand-made traditions of fine watchmaking Métiers d'Art, or artistic crafts.
