Chronogram

Delving into the mysteries of our past by exploring delicate paper archives was once a privilege reserved for professionals. Through Chronogram, the EPFL+ECAL Lab opens the doors of this historic universe with a new approach to virtual reality. On the occasion of the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie watch fair, it unveiled the Chronogram project, the result of a collaboration with watch manufacturer Vacheron Constantin and the Digital Humanities Laboratory of the Ecole polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne.

Vacheron Constantin boasts an uninterrupted history of 260 years devoted to watchmaking excellence. Above all, it provides a unique testimony about our society: since 1755, more than 350 linear meters of documents retrace the aspirations of each era, the emergence of new knowledge, and the birth of trade across continents. These archives also preserve the memory of each timepiece, century after century, and thus constitute a world heritage of immeasurable value.

The challenge is to turn these fragile pages into an accessible and dynamic information system. The Digital Humanities Lab investigates digitisation principles able to recognise historic handwriting, connect its content and place this in context to provide a comprehensive historical view. However, the Chronogram project goes one step beyond by transforming this content into a unique experience: a universe through which we can travel to sense the richness of our past.