A Masterpiece on your wrist

PRESS RELEASE: 27 November, 2020

Vacheron Constantin is auctioning a Les Cabinotiers watch at the ‘Bid For the Louvre’ auction organised online from December 1^st to 15^th by the Louvre Museum and Christie’s, with the support of Drouot.

UPDATE – the unique collaboration between Vacheron Constantin and Louvre, the very special Les Cabinotiers watch realised EUR 280,000 at the online auction. See more results here.

Paris offers an abundance of culture and people with the most diverse interests can find exciting museums, galleries or exhibitions to see. One of the most famous ones is certainly the Musée du Louvre – the former royal palace is not only the world’s largest art museum but a landmark and icon of the city, located on the Right Bank of the Seine in the first district.

Throughout the years, the Louvre has established strong ties with private partners who provide generous support for the museum. These patrons provide more than just financial contributions—they help the Louvre build an ambitious and innovative cultural policy.

Now the Louvre and Christie’s, with the support of the Hôtel Drouot (large auction house in Paris, known for fine art and antiques) join forces to organise the ‘Bid for the Louvre’, an unprecedented online auction. All proceeds from the sale will benefit the Louvre solidarity projects and the Studio, a new space dedicated to artistic and cultural education that will open in the fall of 2021.

The auction will include 24 very special lots: bespoke services inspired by the Louvre; once-in-a-lifetime experiences and products by some of the world’s leading luxury brands (like Cartier, Christian Dior, Le Ritz Paris, Louis Vuitton or Moët Hennessy) and unique art works of contemporary artists.

Vacheron Constantin is a partner of the Louvre Museum – the company supported for example the restoration of ‘La Création du Monde’, a 18^th century masterpiece-clock displayed in the Louvre.

This December the Maison offers for the auction a bespoke one-of-a-kind model. The artisans of the brand will reproduce an artwork kept in the Louvre Museum and chosen by its buyer. The Maison has been famous for artistic creations, created with a number of traditional techniques (like grisaille or ‘plique-à-jour’ enamel). Watches finished with various enamelling decorative methods and miniature paintings are among the most treasured pieces of fine watch collectors – now in a form of a real masterpiece.

An artisan of Vacheron Constantin at Homo Faber in 2018, photo: Loupiosity.com

Grisaille enamel workshop examples for illustration purposes, photo: Loupiosity.com

‘We are proud to be taking part, along other artists and Maisons, in this exceptional auction organized by the Louvre and Christie’s in support of the Museum’s solidarity projects. Our ongoing commitment to art and the transmission of savoir-faire – which has been expressed alongside the Louvre since the announcement of our partnership a year ago – takes on even greater significance within a global context that is troubled and challenging in more ways than one. Putting up for auction a Les Cabinotiers timepiece based on a masterpiece, a one-of-a-kind model personalized in accordance with the acquirer’s wishes, symbolizes the identity of our Maison and its mission to promote the sharing of culture and emotions’, says Louis Ferla, Vacheron Constantin CEO.

The successful bidder of the unique Les Cabinotiers watch will be able to choose from several personalisation options. A platinum, pink gold or white gold case, engraving on the case and officer case-back, a choice of strap – material, colour, stitching and marking – are just some of the many possibilities available to customise this exceptional timepiece powered by the Manufacture 2460 SC self-winding calibre.

Manufacture 2460 SC self-winding calibre, photo: Vacheron Constantin

At the close of this exclusive experience, the purchaser will receive their watch, accompanied by two certificates of authenticity: one from Vacheron Constantin; and another from Le Louvre Museum certifying the reproduction of the artwork.

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