A hand-embroidered strap embedded with microcapsules of bespoke perfume is the highlight of a new concept watch, Égérie — The Pleats of Time, created by Vacheron Constantin in collaboration with the Paris couturier Yiqing Yin.
Ms. Yin, an ambassador for the brand who designed its Égérie model in 2020, worked for several months with the Parisian perfumer Dominique Ropion and the brand’s creative team to develop a fragrance for the timepiece.
“It was important to add layers of emotional and sensory depth to the Égérie collection that could resonate with my own creative universe,” she said, referring to scent as “something really unique that hasn’t been tried before in watches.”
As a concept watch, a piece made solely to reflect watchmaking skill and creativity, the 37-millimeter 18-karat pink gold piece will not be sold. It debuted at the Watches and Wonders Geneva fair last week and now is to be displayed in cities around the world, accompanied by a gown that Ms. Yin also designed.
The watch is powered by a mechanical self-winding movement that was made in-house. Its main dial features lilac mother-of-pearl accented with circles of pleats created by machine engraving. The bezel is set with 58 round-cut diamonds.
