• In 2006, Vacheron Constantin embarked on the design of timepieces with a profoundly human approach, exploring the multicultural dimensions of timepieces such as the “Mercator” and “Tribute to great explorers” models.

• “Les Masques” collection was inspired by the Barbier-Muller Museum in Geneva, which houses the world’s largest private collection of tribal art. The product development team decided to use a transparent dial and specially treated glass
to give the impression that the hand-engraved gold mask is floating above the movement.

• Michel Butor was a famous poet and one of the most prolific writers in the literary world. He himself has identified 1,400 works of which he is the author. It was he himself who wrote the poems dedicated to the Vacheron Constantin Métiers d’Art “Les Masques” timepieces.

• The verses have been delicately applied to the sapphire crystal case of each timepiece, using a special gold vacuum coating technique specially developed for this collection. Each sapphire crystal in the mask has a different hue, achieved
through a unique metallisation process. The hue of the sapphire crystal changes according to the light shining on it, and a dedicated poem can only be read when the light hits the dial at a particular angle like a spiral of a mysterious message in French.