Les Cabinotiers

TRIBUTE TO THE TOUR DE L’ÎLE

A symbol of Geneva

To mark 270 years of technical and aesthetic mastery, the Maison’s Les Cabinotiers workshop has created three single-piece edition timepieces with exquisitely decorated dials that pay homage to the Tour de l’Île, a historic Geneva landmark that holds deep significance for the Maison.

Front view of the 3 Les Cabinotiers novelties on a grey background

A spirit and identity forged in Geneva

Historic Vacheron Constantin watchmaking building with a clock tower and signage.

TRIBUTE TO THE TOUR DE L’ÎLE

Set on a small island in the middle of the Rhône River, the Tour de l’Île (the island tower) is the remnant of a fortified castle built in the 13th century to defend Geneva. In 1843, the Maison set up its workshops in the tower and three years later received authorisation to display its signage on the façade.

For Vacheron Constantin, the Tour de l’Île is a symbol of the human adventure that the Maison began in 1755.

Watchmaker inspecting an enamel-dial luxury watch with a loupe.

MÉTIERS D’ART THAT EXPRESS THE SOUL OF GENEVA

These three unique watches personify the Maison’s commitment to craftsmanship, arts and culture, and its deep links to Geneva. Each dial features a view of the Tour de l’Île inspired by a historic image. The city's motto: “Post tenebras lux” (“After darkness comes light”) is engraved inside the officer’s caseback. Miniaturised for the 33.6 mm-diameter surface, yet faithful in detail to the original image, the meticulously hand-crafted dials showcase several Métiers d’Art.

Watch design process featuring sketches, a painting, and an enamel-dial timepiece.

A SAVOIR-FAIRE THAT BRINGS ART TO LIFE

Artisan engraving a detailed cityscape onto a watch component.

LES CABINOTIERS TRIBUTE TO THE TOUR DE L’ÎLE – ENGRAVING

Inspired by an 1822 engraving by Pierre Escuyer, the 18K 5N pink gold dial plate of this model matches the case. For this bas-relief technique, the engraver sketches the image first, then painstakingly carves away the surrounding metal, leaving the motif slightly raised, with a subtle trompe l’oeil effect. Here, with a plate just one millimetre thick, there was no room for error. This delicate work took over 140 hours, all by hand.

Artist hand-painting an enamel watch dial with a historic city scene.

LES CABINOTIERS TRIBUTE TO THE TOUR DE L’ÎLE – GRAND FEU MINIATURE ENAMELLING

Based on a Jean DuBois lithograph printed by Spengler & Cie (c. 1830), the dial captures the Tour de l’Île behind a vibrant tableau of the Place de Bel-Air, faithful to the monochrome original, but rendered in pastel. This feat, using the Geneva technique of miniature enamelling developed in the 18th century, required a full month of meticulous artistry, beginning with tests of pigments, which change when fired, to ensure accurate colours.

Engraving process of a gold watch dial depiciting historic buildings.

LES CABINOTIERS TRIBUTE TO THE TOUR DE L’ÎLE – FIGURATIVE GUILLOCHÉ AND GRAND FEU MINIATURE ENAMELLING

The dial of this watch reinterprets an early 20th-century image produced by Charnaux – a nearby photographic workshop, translating it to the 18K 5N yellow gold dial. Set against a sandblasted background, the Tour de l’Île is rendered in Grand Feu miniature enamelling. The key to its richness, depth and colour lies in the firing of each layer at more than 800°C: first a white fondant, then multiple layers of pigment, topped by two coats of transparent fondant enamel.