ケヴィン

研磨職人

情熱と完璧主義

ショパールが培ってきた完璧主義の真髄を理解するためには、ウォッチケースやジュエリーの表面を丹念に観察し、極小パーツの美しさを愛で、これらを磨き上げることで洗練を極めた仕上げを施すマニュファクチュールの職人たちの情熱を理解する必要があります。

(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)

"彼らに直接会うことはなくとも、ショパールのすべての職人たちが、優れたクラフツマンシップを究極の域にまで高めることを意識していることが、お客様に伝わるでしょう。"

ショパール共同社長兼アーティスティック・ディレクター、キャロライン・ショイフレ

ケヴィン, 研磨職人

研磨(ポリッシング)作業では、精度へのこだわりや細心の注意力のみならず、美的センスや調和の感性が求められます。2007年からショパールでジュエリー研磨職人として従事するケヴィンは、見習い職人時代から、メゾンで代々受け継がれてきた専門知識や貴重な技術を守るためのトレーニングを受けてきました。このアプローチはまた、時計製造とジュエリーの“魂”を存続させる手段でもあります。ダイヤモンド研磨ディスクなどの旋盤に取り付けられた機械は職人の手の延長として機能し、これを使用することで極小なネジにも加工を施しその美しさを引き出します。最終の仕上げ工程が「鏡面研磨」です。

"ミラーポリッシュ"

鏡面研磨は、かつて腐食を防ぐことを目的としていましたが、今日ではさらなる仕上がりの美しさを追究するために行われるプロセスです。まさに鏡のように職人自身の姿が映るまでパーツの表面を丹念に研磨するのです。職人たちは、リングやネックレス、ウォッチのケースなどの外観パーツだけでなく、ムーブメントのパーツのような普段目にすることがないような部分に至るまで研磨を施します。このこだわりこそが、ショパールのリーダーたちが大切にしている“究極の美の探求”という価値観を象徴しています。このことを十分に理解しているメゾンの研磨職人たちは、謙虚な姿勢を保ちながらも、自らの工芸技術に対する情熱、精緻な作業への真摯な誇り、完璧さに対する飽くなき探求心を持って、常に作業に臨んでいるのです。 

専門知識からエモーションまで

ショパールの「MAINS D’ART(その手で芸術を生み出す職人たち)」