Vacheron Constantin and opera

The production of wristwatches presents alloy of technically accomplished movements, which are collected by hands experienced masters, visual component, turned in design solution, and also material value, collection and jewelery. To these components Vacheron Constantin manufacture added musical. We speak not about repeater, but about real opera. In 2007 there was the first of planned piece from fifteen wristwatches of line Metiers d'Art Chagall & l'Opera de Paris (translated as “in honor of great compositors”). Enamel dial repeats mural, which decorates ceiling of Garnier Opera theater.
This building wear the name of its founder – architect Charles Garnier. Earlier the opera was situated on Le Peletier street, but in 1858 there was attempt on French Emperor Napoleon III, after that the monarch refused to visit unfortunate building forever. Construction work continued more than 15-teen years, though after that it was not completely finished. A century has passed, and in 1963 Minister of Culture of France became André Malraux. The minister decided that building of Opera needs modernization. Malraux decided to decorate ceiling in theater hall with paintings. With this suggestion minister went to Mark Chagall, painter, graphic artist and theater artist. This decision got many quarrels among Parisian, they didn't want that work under national property of France did foreigner, a native of Russia. Though, struck with Chagall's decorations to ballet  “Daphnis and Chloe”, Malraux didn't change his mind and didn't regret about it.
The mural gets in the whole about 200 square meters. The ceiling of Opera theater has round form, in the center of it luxury multileveled chandelier  is situated. It is in round with paintings of Gluck, Verdi, Beethoven and Bizet. Chagall divided the rest of the dome in five sectors, resembled it with flower with five petals. Every section has its dominating color and presents symbolic image of compositors and their works. Blue petal shows Mussorgsky (“Boris Godunov”) and Mozart (“Magic flute”). Yellow sector shows “Swan Lake” by Tchaikovsky and “Giselle” by Adam. Favel (“firebird”) and Stravinsky (“Daphnis and Chloe”) are situated on red sector. Green sector the most romantic, it dedicated to “Romeo and Juliette” by Berlioz and “Tristan & Isolde “ by Vagner. And, at last, white color became the background for Debussy (“Melisanda”) and Ramo (“Pele”). All this Chagall complimented with painting of Paris sight. The artist called his work “colored mirror of silks and shine of jewelery”.
The time has passed and in 2007, philanthropist and patron of Parisian national opera, manufacture Vacheron Constantin to 30-ty anniversary of creation association confederate “Friends of Parisian opera and ballet” produced watches the dial of which is a small copy of famous mural. The case has size is just 41 mm in diameter, but to create enamel painting of dial, Anita Porshe spent three months. For creating an accurate copy, she ploted fragments of painting on white basic with brush from 2-3 cunha hairs. Then the work heated till 800 and more degrees of Celsius and after that next layer covered. Just like original mural of Chagall this copy surrounded by 12 tiny nymphs, made by jeweler Janna Ulrich. The size is not exceeding 2 mm, every of them has her own facial expression. These nymphs have practical meaning – it is marks which shows hour intervals.
Beside this model of wristwatches Vacheron Constantin planned the production of 14 species in line Metiers d'Art Chagall & l'Opera de Paris. This time every piece will be dedicate to composer. All fifteen variations will produce in one piece. The idea was rather ambitious, but turned in perfect work of watch art.