Openworking a movement is a demanding art, since it involves hollowing out the mechanical parts as much as possible, while being careful not to impair the smooth running of the watch. Watchmakers generally start with a solid existing calibre on which they undertake a lengthy process involving conceptualisation, design and modelling, in order to weave the magic of openworking. The new Métiers d’Art Mécaniques Ajourées is no exception to this rule, since it features the first openworked version of an iconic in-house movement: hand-wound Calibre 4400. It took several hundreds of hours to achieve the perfect balance between airy aesthetic appeal and optimal functionality. The watchmakers and artisans of the Manufacture compounded the already impressive feat of removing almost half the material compared with the solid Calibre 4400 by addressing another challenge: that of transforming the new movement into an authentic three-dimensional architectural work expressing striking light and shadow effects.A contemporary reinterpretation of the ancestral art of hand engraving, the finely openworked mechanism of the Métiers d’Art Mécaniques Ajourées model is further ennobled by another artistic craft in which the Manufacture Vacheron Constantin has excelled since its origins: Grand Feu enamelling. Once again demonstrating the full extent of their expertise, the inhouse enamelling artisans have created a ring topping the calibre by dint of meticulous work calling for extreme virtuosity, since the circular shape of the ring to be enamelled implies substantial risks of distortion.
