Vacheron Constantin, which has been collaborating with the Louvre in Paris since 2019, has a brand new affiliation with the Metropolitan Museum of Artwork.
The three-year settlement consists of the model’s monetary help for a collection of instructional initiatives, similar to a residence program for younger artists. Each organizations mentioned the contract was an preliminary settlement that may very well be expanded, and declined to specify how a lot cash can be concerned.
Max Hollein, the museum’s chief govt and director, mentioned the initiatives would construct on what had been the museum’s mission since its institution in 1870. “The Met was initially based with the aim of training New York artists and artisans,” he mentioned, “in order that they might be taught and additional enhance their craft, drawing inspiration from the objects collected from all over the world.”
Each the watch model and the museum “are dedicated to the preservation of arts and information by way of mentoring packages and different tasks,” mentioned Louis Ferla, Vacheron Constantin’s chief govt.
He additionally famous that the USA had been an necessary strategic marketplace for the model because it started promoting there in 1811. That performed a task within the model’s need to collaborate.
“Having a associate just like the Met in a rustic that’s extraordinarily significant for us will not be solely about preserving arts, but it surely permits us to develop into a part of the cultural fiber of the group,” he mentioned.
Earlier this yr, the model unveiled a new program with the Louvre, referred to as “A Masterpiece on the Wrist,” which permits purchasers to pick a piece from a museum checklist and have it reproduced on the dial of a bespoke watch. And final yr, 4 Louvre treasures, together with the Winged Victory of Samothrace, had been featured in a métiers d’art collection.
Are watches displaying Met masterpieces subsequent? “Sure, it’s a risk,” Mr. Ferla mentioned.
Inventive and cultural connections have lengthy been a precedence for Swiss watchmakers.
Since 2013, for instance, Audemars Piguet has supported Artwork Basel festivals and promotes two artwork packages by way of its Modern initiative, launched in 2012. Breguet is a sponsor of the Frieze artwork festivals worldwide, in addition to the Royal Albert Corridor in London and Carnegie Corridor in New York. And Hublot and Zenith have collaborated with artists similar to Takashi Murakami and Felipe Pantone, respectively, on limited-edition watches.
Claudia D’Arpizio, a associate on the consultancy Bain & Firm in Milan, mentioned the overall convergence of luxurious and artwork analyzed in the 2022 Bain luxury report was much more pronounced within the watch business due to its emphasis on expert handwork and up to date collaborations with artists.
“For a watchmaker, supporting a museum means being aware about sharing values, creativity, historical past, and areas,” she mentioned, including that the connections additionally supplied alternatives for manufacturers to speak with prospects.
Benjamin Voyer, a professor of behavioral science on the ESCP Enterprise Faculty in London, voiced an analogous opinion: “Luxurious and the humanities are each appreciated by rich shoppers.”
Mr. Ferla acknowledged that such museum partnerships resonated with Vacheron Constantin’s purchasers. “This isn’t a monetary partnership; it’s not a science,” he mentioned. “It’s about studying about how we are able to contribute to society.”
