The works housed at the Louvre Museum in Paris have long inspired generations of creatives and brands. Swiss luxury watch manufacturer Vacheron Constantin is one of them; it has had a long-standing partnership with the institution. Beginning in 2019, the company created a series of limited-edition watches inspired by the museum's collection. The latest product of this collaboration is the second of the Métiers d'Art Tribute to great civilisations series, which draws from four ancient artifacts from around the world.

The new collection comprises four models, of which only 15 pieces were produced for each. The watches evoke the magnificence of the Louvre's Ancient Egypt, Assyrian Empire, Ancient Greece, and Imperial Rome collections, some of the most impressive assortments held in the museum. In particular, the watches nod to four sculptures: the Buste d'Akhénaton; the Lamassu de Sargon II; Athéna de Velletri; and Le Tibre from the Iseum Campense temple.

Vacheron Constantin drew parallels between the company's own path and the empires of yesteryear for its designs. "Whether the Assyrian Empire, the Egypt of the pharaohs, the Golden Age of ancient Greece, or Imperial Rome, these civilizations experienced extraordinary territorial expansion accompanied by an unprecedented cultural and artistic influence," Sandrine Donguy, product and innovation director at Vacheron Constantin, said. "For this new series of watches, the aim was to highlight these emblematic civilizations even further."

At the same time, the watches are the ultimate example of Vacheron Constantin's craftsmanship, which brings to life ornate works of art on one of the tiniest canvases--and that's before getting into the delicate mechanisms that make up the timepiece. The intricate dials feature nine different decorative crafts. The company reports that the development phase took three years of research in close collaboration with the curators of the Louvre, while each dial required between 120 and 220 hours of work.

"As a reflection of the quest for beauty which echoes humanity, the Louvre is the best place to celebrate invention and creativity, art, design and craft," Olivier Gabet, general curator of heritage and director of the Département des Objets d'art at the Louvre, told Wallpaper*. "The Louvre and Vacheron Constantin have nurtured a very special relationship of mutual respect, with the Louvre showing once again that the museum is not a mere repository of splendid artifacts but a place for contemporary inspiration. Inspiration is vibrant at the Louvre."

To learn more about these mesmerizing watches, visit the Vacheron Constantin website.