Vacheron Constantin and The Metropolitan Museum of Art introduced the winners of their Artisan Residency program Thursday in New York.

The Met’s Marina Kellen French director and chief executive officer Max Hollein, Vacheron Constantin America’s president Alexander Schmiedt, Vacheron Constantin’s creative director Volker Gehr and The Met’s Frederick P. and Sandra P. Rose chair of education Heidi Holder spoke at a press event in the Upper East Side museum.

Having started to work together about two years ago, Hollein described the alliance with Vacheron Constantin as a partnership “of support to create together things that really matter” and that are engrained in their respective DNAs, which include the preservation of culture, cultural skills, artistry and excellence in execution. The Artisan Residency programs focus on the preservation and reinterpretation of traditional crafts and art. “We are hopefully going to be bringing some very important and beautiful products into the world. We are creating a platform for the development of them,” he said.

Interestingly, the three artisans are not working in watchmaking in any shape or form. Each was chosen for their technical skills and artistic innovation and are embarking on an 18-month program of research, creation and engagement that will be bridged between New York and Switzerland. The finalists are Aspen Golann, an American furniture maker; Joy Harvey, an Italian jeweler and Ibrahaim Said, an Egyptian ceramicist.

Golann, who teaches furniture at the Rhode Island School of Design, trained in traditional woodworking crafts of the 17th to 19th centuries and creates contemporary takes on American furniture. She is also known to choose the trees that she will harvest for her work. Harvey blends Florentine goldsmithing and Armenian techniques. Based in Fustat, an area of Cairo that has been known for its ceramics since the Islamic conquest in the 7th century AD, he uses boundary-pushing techniques.

Hollein noted that when The Met was founded well over 150 years ago, one of the incentives was to support artists and the new initiative does that in “a profound way.”

From the beginning of its connection with The Met, the Swiss company was intent on “being more than a sponsor,” Schmiedt said. For starters, they teamed up for “Masterpiece on Your Wrist,” bespoke watches with miniaturized reproductions of work from The Met that were introduced in 2024.

Schmiedt spoke of Vacheron Constantin’s heritage of being dedicated to art and culture, craftsmanship and traditional innovation. As a sign of its commitment to mentorship, the company’s annual celebration is held on Sept. 17, when founder Jean-Marc Vacheron signed his first apprentice and the original document in its Geneva offices, he said. Now that the luxury watchmaker is in its 270th year, Schmiedt said, “Just because you’re old doesn’t mean anything. The theme of our anniversary is our quest for excellence. That we have been able to stay relevant across four centuries makes for the perfect moment to launch this Artisan Residency program.”

While having the artistic element and the craftsmanship element is always important for artists, Schmiedt said the trio, despite working in different areas, share “exactly the same spirit and to a certain extent the same madness of doing things today that no one else is doing any more.” He said, “We do it with our watches and these guys do it in their respective areas.”

Having been asked if Vacheron Constantin is looking to recruit the artists to make dials on its watches, he said, “No, that is not the main objective — not at all. But it might happen sometime. But it’s not a recruiting tool for new artists.”

There also aren’t any plans for them to develop any commercial merchandise that will be sold through The Met. While there are plenty of artist residencies, Holder noted how theirs is rooted in resources and preserving traditional crafts. Hollein offered how there is also a great deal of technical knowledge that The Met can share, as well as Vacheron Constantin. “Think about our conservation labs. We have the leading experts in the world here for objects conservation in all types of materials — wood, stone, of course paintings, textiles, etc.,” Hollein said. “Whatever you are embarking on as an artist here you will find not only objects that can be inspirational, but also very knowledgeable conservators, who have been trained with materials. We want to open up that human resource to them.”

Applicants’ proposals weren’t the only criteria for the finalists. Technical skills and virtuosity, a track record for having the ability to complete projects and artistic merit were also considered to whittle down the pool of candidates to about six for the first cut. In-person meetings helped to mine the final three.

Not new to residency programs, The Met knows what is required to work with artists and the importance of being able to get along, to be personable and to develop relationships. “This is not Rembrandt, who is dead, and you can hang it wherever you like. You have to be able to work with these people, and they have to be able to work with you,” Holder said with a laugh. “So we love Rembrandt shows, right?”

During their 18-month residency, they will embark on three phases — research at The Met (which houses 1.5 million objects) and at Vacheron Constantin’s Maison in Switzerland, as well as creating and public engagement. They were selected from a field of about 100 applicants from across the world, who were critiqued by a jury comprised of artists, architects, curators, educators and conservators. Holder said the project might seem obvious, but “like a good novel, it’s only obvious at the end. This is the kind of project that really makes sense for institutions likes ours. It’s a natural output of both of our interests and is part of what we already do.”

Creative director Volker Gehr explained how Jean-Marc Vacheron was later joined by the business-minded Francois Constantin and how the company’s credo, “Do better, if possible, and that is always possible,” carries on today. Acknowledging how being the oldest watchmaker in continuous operation could result in a narrative that could focus on the past, Gehr emphasized how today is increasingly becoming important that even the oldest brands have a relevancy, strength and position in society. Therefore, the residency “is a unique way of showing generosity, and transmitting such values as traditional techniques and craftsmanship very much seems to make sense for us,” Gehr said.

Describing the residency as “an incredible opportunity,” Harvey said, “residencies really give you the freedom to create what you want to. As artisans, we usually are asked to create something that has a specific purpose and price. In this case, Vacheron has given us the complete freedom to create something new and innovative.”

For Harvey, that crowning moment will result in one thing — “a diadem,” as in a tiara.