For these unacquainted with the echelons of luxurious dial manufacturing, the identify “Atelier Olivier Vaucher” won’t ring instant bells. Yet, throughout the corridors of the elite watchmaking business, it resonates as a number one purveyor of inventive dials.
Since its institution in 1978 within the coronary heart of Geneva, the atelier, beneath the stewardship of Olivier and Dominique Vaucher, has remained a significant drive behind the scenes for a number of the most illustrious names within the timepiece enviornment. With a workforce of 40 specialists, the workshop excels in over 15 distinct crafts, together with however not restricted to enamelling, miniature portray, hand-engraving, and gem-setting, showcasing a powerful vary of experience.
The collaboration between Olivier and Dominique Vaucher with Olivier Gaud was sparked by a shared imaginative and prescient: to harness their collective experience and the workshop’s sources to craft a handful of remarkable inventive watches yearly. The selection of the identify “TAOS,” impressed by an artwork colony in New Mexico identified for its vibrant artwork scene, and coincidentally, the Greek time period for peacock, displays the model’s dedication to magnificence and inventive expression.
TAOS’s debut assortment showcases seven distinctive timepieces, every housed in a 38mm x 10mm case of both pink or white gold. The dial of every watch represents over 200 hours of painstaking craftsmanship. All the items are powered by the identical motion, the automated VOP318, working at 4Hz with a 3-day energy reserve. Although the motion’s parts obtain as much as 100 hours of hand ornament at Atelier Vaucher, the calibre VOP318 is produced by Telos, a high-grade motion designer and producer based by Frank Orny and Johnny Girardin in La Chaux-de-Fonds.
The inaugural assortment spans a wide selection of inventive strategies and supplies, with every bit commanding a worth reflective of its intricate craftsmanship and exclusivity. The “Broderies” mannequin, priced at CHF 150,000, options gold and white dominant strands of enamel drawn and laid in floral patterns, resembling embroidery on the dial, embellished with gem-setting. “Envol Bleu” and “Envol Rouge,” every at CHF 140,000, current beautiful hand-engravings beneath enamel, paillonné enamel, and diamond settings.
“Euphorie,” with its Grand Feu paillonné enamel, is priced at CHF 120,000. “Floréal,” at CHF 140,000, combines émail on silver-leaf paillons, cloisonné enamel, hand-engraved mother-of-pearl, miniature portray on mother-of-pearl, and gem-setting. The “Kaleidoscope” mannequin, at CHF 130,000, includes a stone mosaic inlay, an engraved mother-of-pearl centre, and an engraved motif in white gold. Lastly, “Ondes,” priced at CHF 110,000, showcases engraving on mother-of-pearl on a number of layers, with patterns echoing the motion’s engraving.
For extra info, go to taoswatches.com