Kevin

Artisan polisseur

Passion et perfectionnisme

Pour comprendre le degré de perfectionnisme cultivé par Chopard, il faut avoir observé de près la surface d'un boîtier de montre ou d'un bijou, ou avoir entrevu la beauté de quelques minuscules composants afin de saisir la passion avec laquelle ils ont été polis et mis en valeur par les artisans de la Manufacture.

(On-screen text: Chopard presents) 


(Kevin sits at a workbench, polishing a small piece of jewellery.) 


[Kevin] I enjoy working on chains and necklaces. It's what I feel the most confident doing. There's a risky side that I quite like, it appeals to me. It's something I love doing. 


(Kevin places a finished piece of jewellery featuring nested metal rings with free-moving gems in the innermost and smallest ring and the word Chopard engraved on the glass face next to the polished outer ring of a similar unfinished piece.) 


[a sustained note in the background] 


(On-screen text: Art - From the Latin Ars, Artis. Talent, Skill, Dexterity.) 


[soft piano music plays] 


(On-screen text: The word ART becomes ARTISAN.) 


(On-screen text: From expertise to emotion. Chopard) 


(A black and white graphite sketch of the palm of a hand, surrounded by the words EXPERTISE, CREATIVITY, EMOTION.) 


(A portrait of Kevin.) 


(On-screen text: Kevin - Jewellery-Polishing Artisan) 


[Kevin] A polisher's hands are their main tool. The whole job is based on touch. 


(Kevin enters his workshop wearing a black polo shirt embroidered with the word "Chopard". He selects a tool and polishes a small piece of jewellery.) 


[Kevin] I really enjoy my work. I've loved it ever since I started my apprenticeship. Making necklaces, earrings and seeing them worn by someone, usually a woman, is lovely. 


(On-screen text: Hand-polishing challenging areas) 


[Kevin] We can say that we've achieved something that adds a touch of the sublime to the wearer. 


(On-screen text: Polishing on a lathe) 


[Kevin] We've seen our jewellery on royalty, and in the Elton John film. We can say that we made the pieces you see in films or worn by people in magazines, on television. 


(On-screen text: In-house cotton bud polishing technique) 


[Kevin] It's quite something to know you've held them in your hands. It's a great feeling. 


(Kevin selects tiny tools to polish the intricate curves and corners of a small shape.) 


[Kevin] We do everything by hand, for polishing in any case, from start to finish. It adds value to a piece of jewellery. Chopard is proud of its craftsmanship. 


(On-screen text: Polishing using a unique in-house cotton bud technique) 


[Kevin] Each piece is unique, whereas all machined pieces are the same. If everything was automated, I'd feel less like an artisan than I do working by hand. 


(Kevin inspects some finished rings in gold with elaborate floral designs.) 


[Kevin] Meticulousness is crucial to our work. People think it's easy. 


(Kevin shines a gold ring on a band of fabric.) 


[Kevin] They don't realise what's involved, everything that goes into it. 


(Kevin rotates the gold ring, examining it and places it next to a similar finished piece of jewellery featuring nested metal rings with free-moving diamonds in the innermost and smallest ring and the word Chopard engraved on the glass face.) 


[Kevin] It isn't always easy. 


(Close-up of the piece of jewellery with the nested rings, the light catching the different surfaces.) 


[Kevin] If we have to do risky work to a piece, when we could break it, we have to concentrate harder. You have to cut yourself off from the world and focus on the piece. 


(On-screen text: Preparing gemsetting prongs for polishing using the brushing technique) 


(Kevin gently polishes the prongs of a small intricate piece, places it among other similar pieces resting on black fabric and delicately examines another one.) 


[Kevin] This was particularly true for the Animal collections, the Disney collections, and the Love bracelets, which were complex and very enjoyable to make. I've always been at Chopard and I still enjoy it just as much. I still love coming to work. 


[soft piano music continues to play] 


(On-screen text: Chopard - The artisan of emotions - Since 1860)

"Même si les clients ne les voient jamais, ils sauront que chez Chopard, le souci du travail bien fait est poussé à l'extrême."

Caroline Scheufele, coprésidente et directrice artistique de Chopard

Kevin, Artisan Polisseur

Le polissage est un métier exigeant qui requiert de la précision, un soin méticuleux ainsi qu'un sens de la beauté et de l'harmonie. Tel est le travail de Kevin, Artisan polisseur en joaillerie chez Chopard depuis 2007. Dès son apprentissage au sein de la Maison, Kevin a été formé pour sauvegarder ces gestes ancestraux et ces savoir-faire précieux. Cette approche est aussi un moyen de préserver l'âme de l'horlogerie et de la joaillerie. Les machines ne sont ainsi que le prolongement de la main de l'Artisan, tel le disque à polir les diamants monté sur un tour qui permet de travailler les vis les plus minuscules afin d'en révéler la beauté. Cependant, la touche finale est donnée par le polissage miroir. 

"polissage miroir"

Historiquement utilisé pour prévenir la corrosion, cette technique tient aujourd'hui davantage d'une recherche de la perfection. La surface d'un composant est polie jusqu'à ce que l'Artisan puisse y voir son propre reflet, d'où le nom de "polissage miroir". Les Artisans travaillent ainsi à magnifier ce qui est visible - comme une bague, un collier ou un boîtier de montre - ainsi que des éléments invisibles comme certains composants du mouvement. Tout cela s'inscrit dans une quête de la beauté ultime, valeur chère aux coprésidents de Chopard. Conscients de cela, les polisseurs de la Maison démontrent un subtil mélange de passion pour leur métier, de fierté naturelle du bel ouvrage, de recherche incessante de la perfection et d'humilité. 

De l'expertise aux émotions

NOS MAINS D'ART