All in a name: The Vacheron Constantin exhibition

A rare opportunity to see some original watch creations by Geneva-based Vacheron Constantin, a brand known for its individual artistry and nicknames, is now here.

The exhibition, in the company’s Parisian boutique in the heart of Paris, runs until 31 August 2018, and showcases 19 models from its extensive collection.

The exhibits include the ‘Cornes de Vaches’ (cow horns), ‘Batman’ and ‘Cioccoalatone’ – descriptive labels used by collectors to highlight the unique character of the watches.

The Vacheron Constantin Boutique, in the city’s fashion centre, provides an ideal setting for the company’s most recent creations, as well as the temporary heritage exhibition this summer.

From the end of June, the models from the house’s heritage collection, all featuring a singular style that has inspired collectors to give them various pet names, are on show alongside their corresponding artistic sketches.

Dedicated to safeguarding its heritage, which runs to 1,500 creations along with an exceptional set of company archives, Vacheron Constantin is equally dedicated to preserving its history as well as displaying it for public enjoyment.

The ‘Nicknames’ exhibition reflects the inventiveness of the Geneva-based Manufacture through a series of atypical 20th-century watches whose pet names have become part of the watch aficionado’s vocabulary.

‘Crab’, ‘butterfly’, ‘giraffe’, ‘horn of plenty’ and ‘sole’ are all nicknames that were coined to express the peculiarities of a particular watch, generally associating its distinctive shape with that of an animal, a character, a monument or an object.

Whatever their origin, these epithets have now become indelibly linked to these exceptional masterpieces.

See some of these historic works of art firsthand at the ‘Nicknames’ exhibition, from 28 June to 31 August 2018, at the Vacheron Constantin Boutique, 2 rue de la Paix, Paris. Open Monday through Saturday from 11am to 7pm.