a rt, the Barbier-Mueller Museum. Itsproximityguided Vacheron Constant ininits nalchoice. The Métiers
d’Art ”Les Masques” collection, therefore, grew out of a re ection on the near and far, the past, present and
future, and the process of constant renewal.
But one obstacle remained: to win over the museum. Would it be willing to lend its treasures for months
on end so that they could be reproduced on the dial of a collector’s watch? In the end, three things convinced
Jean Paul Barbier-Muelleroftheproject”sbeautyandsigni cance: apreliminarydrawing, a lunchduring which he and the Vacheron Constantin team were able to share their common passion for beautiful objects, and the
manufacture’s philosophy.
The rest was a matter of horological magic and the commitment of a team to surpass the limits of possibilit y. Twelve
masks were selected from the Barbier-Mueller collection for small-scale reproduction in gold. They will repose m ajesti-
cally atthecenterofeachtimepieceina collectionthat willspanthreethousandyearsandfour continents, re ectingthe
brand’s long history and its spirit of openness to the world.
Because Vacheron Constantin understands the value of time, it respected the time needed to create such exceptional
pieces. Long months were required rst of all to perfect the movement, and then the techniques with which the master
craftsmen could reproduce these works of art in miniature. There had to be plenty of time for questioning, re ection and
invention.
A collection cannot be hurried. That is why the Métiers d’Art ”Les Masques” collection is a story that will take time
to unfurl. Every year, for three years, a boxed set of four di erent masks will be presented in a limited series of 25. By the
end, the complete collection will comprise 12 masks, for a total of 300 watches. The rst set of four is presented in April
at the 2007 Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie in Geneva.
ULTIMATE 12 NATIVE WATERCRAFT KAYAK –A lightweight, rugged watercraft created exclusively for fishermen. With more stability than a canoe and more room and
comfort than a standard kayak, it’s designed so you can stand up and fish right from it. $1,600. Available at The Orvis Company in Grand Boulevard in Sandestin.
PASSPORT–The weekend
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little more casual without
compromising comfort
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casual style and
remarkable comfort
make it the perfect
weekend shoe. Suggested
retail $230. Available
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Silver Sands Factory
Stores.
A MYSTERIOUS MOVEMENT AND A SHOWCASE FOR A WORK OF ART IN MINIATURE
Each timepiece is equipped with the automatic Calibre 2460G4 movement. Made by the manufacture and bearing
the Poinçon de Genève, it was developed in 2005 for the Métiers d’Art, “Les 4 saisons” collection. Thanks to this very
special movement, the time can be read without any hands: by means of a set of wheels and gears, four discs indicate
the hours, minutes, days and date in windows, leaving the centre of the dial empty for the masks to be placed there
and for the craftsmen to give free rein to their creativity. The movement has been completely redesigned to receiv e the
masks;eventhoughtime is theraisondӐtrehere, themasksarethe focusof attentionandmust beput inthespo tlight.
To ensure that they are, the team of designers decided to virtually concealthe movement. A clever technique usin g
transparency and specially-treated glass creates the impression that the masks are oating. Each sapphire crystal
has a di erent tint, obtained by a unique metallisation process, so that it sets o the colour of the mask. The e ec t
is breathtaking: the miniature sculpture seems within reach, freedfrom its showcase, like a motionless automaton ,
a silent guardian of ancestral secrets. The case is fashioned in white gold for the Alaskan mask, pink gold for the
Indonesian mask, yellow gold for the Chinese mask, and platinum for the Congolese mask.
Itrequiredall Michel Butor”s talenttogivevoice, ifnotlife, tothemasks. Hismagni cent words, shortpoems in prose dedicated to each mask, circle the sapphire dial in letters of gold. The writer’s lines follow each other
in a spiral that seems to have no beginning and no end, a mysterious message that can only be read when the
light strikes it from a certain angle. This e ect is achieved by vacuum metallisation, a sophisticated technological process in which the gold letters are sprayed onto a sapphire crystal. Thanks to the multiple play of light and
transparency, the watch has secrets that it will only ever share with its owner. ✠
LACOSTE
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Opposite page, upper left: Vacheron Constantin Patrimony Traditionnelle Skeleton Perpetual Calendar in Platinum $130,000. Also available in
Rose Gold $110,000; lower left: Métiers D’Art Collection “Les Masques”, special edition Vacheron Constantin watches created from four tribal masks from
the Barbier-Mueller Museum in Geneva. Shown are masks from Asia, Africa, North America and Indonesia. Sold in sets of four with only 25 sets in the world.
$389,200. For a retailer near you, visit www.vacheron-constantin.com
LACOSTE ELEGANCE
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the man with a natural charisma.
Available at Bungalows in Destin
Commons and select department
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