The Artisans Behind Vacheron Constantin’s Métiers d’Art Tribute to the Animal Kingdom

Julien Vermeulen Feathersnake

Featherwork reduced to the rhythm of a heartbeat

The serpent at the centre of Feathersnake is constructed from more than 200 tiny pieces derived from seven rare Lophophore feathers. Rising only three millimetres from the dial, its blue-green plumage creates the illusion of living scales, while goose feathers form the surrounding vegetation.

The extreme scale required the development of a custom micro-scalpel and a modified sewing needle for applying microscopic dots of glue. The project demanded approximately 250 hours of research, prototyping and execution.

Interview

What was the most unexpected challenge in this project?

The microscopic scale required me to completely rethink my approach, and I realised that my whole body had to become engaged in the process. The smallest feather elements measured only a few tenths of a millimetre, so even breathing too heavily could send them flying.

At certain moments, I found myself almost holding my breath while placing a feather, because even the beating of the heart creates tiny movements in the hands. As the serpent progressed and the curves became tighter around the head and eye, each stage introduced a new level of difficulty.

I could not work for more than four hours a day on the project because it demanded such an intense level of concentration.

What does this project represent for you personally?

This project represented several firsts for me. It was the first time I had worked with natural Lophophore feathers, which are extremely rare and difficult to handle, and also the first time I had worked at such a microscopic scale.

Throughout the process, I remember warning Vacheron Constantin several times that I was not sure I would be able to complete the project because we were constantly pushing the material beyond what I thought was possible.

The fact that I ultimately succeeded is a source of pride, because it enabled me to venture beyond what I believed were my own limits.

About Julien Vermeulen

Julien Vermeulen discovered his passion for featherwork during a formative period at the atelier of French couturier Jean Paul Gaultier, where he realised that feathers could become far more than ornament in skilled hands.

Trained in applied arts at the Lycée Octave Feuillet in France, where he learned featherwork, Vermeulen founded his own workshop in 2014 with the ambition of reviving and reinventing a fading craft.

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Patricia Holdener 

Editor-In-Chief

Luxe Mgazine Switzerland 

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