Watches and Wonders Edit: Inside Vacheron Constantin’s collab with Yiqing Yin – previously a Hermès and Swarovski partner, the designer fashioned the daring Égérie collection
- Yiqing Yin has been shown at Paris Fashion Week every year since 2011 – here she worked on Vacheron Constantin’s Égérie: The Pleats of Time and Égérie Moon Phase timepieces
- The Pleats of Time’s leather strap has a fragrance in its lining, developed by master perfumer Dominique Ropion, who has worked with Lancôme, Givenchy, Issey Miyake and Yves Saint Laurent
The Égérie collection blends the best of old and new, taking Vacheron Constantin, one of the world’s most venerable watchmakers, into uncharted territory. The revered Swiss luxury watch manufacture first released the collection in 2020, drawing inspiration from the world of haute couture, while also becoming known for pushing the boundaries of innovation with its eye catching off-centre display.
Those two things come together on the two new Égérie watches released by the maison at this year’s Watches and Wonders, thanks to a collaboration with a leading light of the fashion world – one that has resulted in some startlingly avant-garde touches.
Both The Pleats of Time concept watch and the Égérie Moon Phase are the fruits of a collaboration between Vacheron Constantin and fashion superstar Yiqing Yin. One of the world’s most respected designers, she has been showing at Paris Fashion Week since 2011, and has worked with the likes of Leonard, Guerlain, Hermès and Swarovski. She has also long brought her talents to bear on other artistic fields, designing costumes for several film and dance productions, and collaborating on numerous artworks and exhibitions.
Here, Yin extends her creative reach further by bringing her vision to a pair of head-turning timepieces. In particular, The Pleats of Time takes haute horology into entirely new territory, drawing its influences not just from haute couture but also from haute parfumerie.
