Vacheron Csontantin replica presents an unconventional edition of Metiers d’Art in its women’s exclusive collection Égérie. The Égérie Creative Edition, inspired by Burano Lace in Italy, is the protagonist of a new chapter. Burano lace refers to traditional lace decorations that originated on the island of Burano in Venice, Italy. Lace craft originated from the net weaving of fishermen. On the island of Burano in the 16th century, when male fishermen went out on boats, wives were said to weave lace as a pastime while waiting for their husbands. Brano lace, which officially appeared in the history of the 18th century, originated from it. The embroidery stitches of traditional Burano lace are said to be one of the most delicate techniques in the world. In the past, there was even a school on the island of Burano that taught this technique. FYI, the Burano lace school has now been turned into a museum.
An official from the Burano Lace Museum said, “Like Vacheron Constantin, we are carrying on special know-how passed down by generations of artisans. Burano lace is a pioneer in the embroidery craft that spread throughout Europe, providing rich inspiration to future generations. As the stitches of Burano lace rose to an outstanding level, the value of Burano lace artisans also rose. Currently, each artisan is spreading their know-how in other regions,” he said, revealing his pride in Burano lace.
The Ezeri Creative Edition features traditional Burano lace embellishments in white gold. A lace line is made in white gold as thin as an eyelash, then a lace pattern is engraved on it as a base and decorated with brilliant-cut diamonds. According to Vacheron Constantin Heritage and Style Director Christian Selmoni, the white gold base is so thin that it bends the moment the finger touches it, so it took a lot of time to create the lace embellishment. The finished lace motif is placed on a black enamel dial that has been patterned accordingly. In the center of the dial, a pleat pattern guilloché, reminiscent of the delicate folds of a dress, is engraved in the center of the dial, inspired by the traditional tapisserie technique, as is the standard in the Egeri collection. At 1 o’clock on the dial is an off-center moon phase display. The moon is displayed in white mother-of-pearl, and the background is decorated with stars to represent a lyrical night sky. The decorative frame (in the shape of the number 8) that outlines the off-center display is set with brilliant-cut diamonds on the surface of a white gold base. The center of the decorative frame is said to have expressed clouds using the Plique-à-jour enameling technique, which is processed to be transparent.
The white gold case is not much different from the existing Egeri collection. In the same direction as the off-center moon phase display is a cabochon crown decorated with a large diamond. A total of 292 diamonds are decorated on the surface of the case, excluding the line from the edge of the lug to the side of the case. The case size is 37mm in diameter and 10.53mm in thickness. Waterproof specification is 30m.
The mounted movement is an automatic in-house caliber 1088 L. It is the same as the existing Egeri moon phase model. It has a frequency of 28,800 vph per hour and a power reserve of 40 hours. Caliber 1088 L is easy to see as a version of the women’s base caliber 1088 that has been used all along, with a moon phase added. It is for the same reason that the letter L, which indicates the moon (Lune), is written in the name.
Two straps are provided. One is a black satin calfskin strap and the other is a black alligator leather strap. Each can be easily replaced without tools through a unique one-touch interchangeable system.
The Egeri Creative Edition (Ref. 8006F/000G-B942) will be sold exclusively in select Vacheron Constantin boutiques. The price is 158 million won.
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