Sandrine Donguy Reveals the Inspiration and Artistry Behind Vacheron Constantin’s Métiers d’Art Celestial Series

Since the dawn of civilisation, humanity has looked to the stars for meaning, mystery and guidance. Now, Vacheron Constantin translates that timeless fascination into a breathtaking horological series.

With Métiers d’Art Tribute to the Celestial, the Maison presents twelve exceptional timepieces, each echoing a zodiac sign and its constellation, uniting the art of timekeeping with the wonders of the night sky.

Framed within a 39mm case of 18K white gold and set with baguette-cut blue sapphires, each dial features hand-guilloché zodiac illustrations scattered with diamond-set stars.

Beneath this celestial artistry lies the ultra-thin self-winding tourbillon movement, Calibre 2160; a symbol of Vacheron Constantin’s refined mechanical ingenuity.

According to Sandrine Donguy, Product & Innovation Director at the Maison, the vision for this series is rooted in the philosophy of its founder:

“When Jean-Marc Vacheron founded the Maison in 1755, he saw no separation between technical excellence and artistic beauty. This principle still guides us. The Tribute to the Celestial series reflects that philosophy. It brings together our watchmakers and artisans in a shared mission — to create something that is as mechanically accomplished as it is emotionally resonant. The slenderness of Calibre 2160, for instance, allows for a perfectly balanced case, enhancing the beauty of the entire piece.”

The creation of each dial is an intricate, multi-phase process that brings together the Maison’s highest expressions of métiers d’art.

The base, crafted from 18K 5N gold, is engraved with the contours of the zodiac signs and their constellations. A sunburst finish is applied, followed by opaline accents on the four ‘human’ signs: Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Aquarius.

At the heart of the artistic composition is a highly advanced form of figurative guilloché, a technique developed within Vacheron Constantin’s own workshops.

Thousands of minute, hand-cut triangles form fine textures that give shape and depth to each sign; a process that demands over 16 hours of focused craftsmanship for a single dial.

The constellation itself is revealed as the dial is cut to expose the gold base beneath, its stars marked by grain-set diamonds.

Once the blue pigmentation is applied and sealed, white gold indexes and the Maltese Cross emblem are affixed, before the final gem-setting begins.

In total, 96 baguette-cut sapphires, totalling nearly 3.9 carats, are set into the bezel, crown, lugs, and buckle.

Channel setting is used for the bezel, allowing the stones to appear as if they are floating; a seamless ring of light that echoes the fine linearity of the dial’s guilloché design.

As Donguy explains, this level of detail is part of the Maison’s broader mission to preserve tradition while embracing innovation:

“Our in-house Métiers d’Art workshop is key to our identity. It’s not simply about preserving traditional techniques, but about evolving them. The figurative guilloché used on these dials is a perfect example, developed by our master guillocheur to extend the limits of what was previously possible. Likewise, the gem-setting techniques vary depending on the cut and positioning of each stone, always selected to maximise brilliance. This balance between tradition and innovation is what defines us.”

Encased within this artistry is the calibre 2160, a manufacture movement that stands as a pinnacle of Vacheron Constantin’s technical expertise.

At just 5.65mm thick, it houses 188 components and offers an 80-hour power reserve, driven by a peripheral 22K gold rotor.

This rotor design allows a full view of the movement’s intricate finishing; from hand-bevelled bridges and Côtes de Genève to polished screws and perlage on the mainplate.

The tourbillon, positioned at 6 o’clock, not only regulates the time but also serves as the small seconds display. Its cage, shaped in the form of the Maltese Cross, adds a subtle layer of symbolism to an already intricate landscape.

Each piece in the collection bears the prestigious Poinçon de Genève, a hallmark that certifies origin, performance and superior finishing.

Since time immemorial, the stars have guided, fascinated and inspired. Ancient cultures across Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, and beyond studied the night sky to chart time and tell stories, blending the scientific and the symbolic into one celestial language.

The twelve zodiac constellations, which lie along the path of the sun, have remained a lasting embodiment of that connection.

For Donguy, uniting the zodiac signs with their constellations was a natural progression:

“We have always felt a natural affinity with astronomy, because it’s so closely tied to the origins of timekeeping. But astrology, with its symbolism and sense of mystery, also speaks to us. Until the time of Galileo, both were viewed as one discipline. With this collection, we wanted to bring those two elements back together — to express the beauty of the night sky in a way that feels both thoughtful and enchanting.”

This isn’t the first time Vacheron Constantin has explored the celestial. From the Art Deco table clocks of the 1920s to the Legend of the Chinese Zodiac series and Copernicus Celestial Spheres collection, the stars have long served as muse.

The genesis of this current series, however, lies in a 2021 pièce unique from Les Cabinotiers – the Minute Repeater Tourbillon Sky Chart Leo Constellation Jewellery, whose dial combined diamond-set stars with a hand-guilloché Leo figure.

That singular creation opened a new artistic pathway for the Maison; one now fully realised across all twelve signs in this new series.

In the Métiers d’Art Tribute to the Celestial, Vacheron Constantin has brought together astronomical beauty, horological precision, and artistic ingenuity in a truly unprecedented way. Each timepiece is a tribute to centuries of human curiosity and craftsmanship.

It is, as Donguy herself puts it,

“A collection that is as emotionally resonant as it is mechanically accomplished — one that speaks to the heart as much as to the intellect.”

In every detail, it reaffirms Vacheron Constantin’s place among the stars.