BEST OF VACHERON CONSTANTIN
The 261-year-old Manufacture known for Kallista, one of the most expensive wristwatches, presently valued at about $11 million has had a glorious history. Hiren Kumar Bose chooses the five best of the brand introduced in the recent years
Maître Cabinotier Retrograde Armillary Tourbillon
A watch with 57 complications — the most complicated watch ever made–this mechanical wonder, devised by three master watchmakers from the company’s Atelier Cabinotiers workshops, took eight years to develop and was presented to mark Vacheron Constantin’s 260th anniversary. The one-off piece 42 mm watch was made to a special commission, using the latest technology to preserve the traditional watchmaking principles certified by the Hallmark of Geneva. The manually wound calibre 1990 movement developed in-house features retrograde hours and minutes indications with instant flyback. The double indications are as technically fascinating as they are visually mesmerising. The hands flick back to zero at such a speed that the special attention is needed to ensure a precise indication and such lightweight and resistant materials as the titanium used in the hands. The retrograde function governs the hours and minutes while the tourbillon revolves on two axes and has a spherical balance-spring. The movement coated with NAC (a special metal alloy) is also revealed through lateral windows in its imposing case. The elegantly structured tourbillon operates as a sphere perpetually rotating on two axes under a sapphire crystal dome at 9 o’clock. The tourbillon carriage, made of lightweight aluminium alloy, incorporates Vacheron Constantin’s Maltese Cross emblem, which forms up every 15 seconds as the tourbillon rotates. This ongoing spectacle may be admired every 30 seconds through a sapphire crystal opening on the side of the case. As fascinating as it is for its action and construction, the armillary tourbillon achieves remarkable timekeeping precision. It is fitted with a new type of escapement, developed in-house that has the escape wheel and lever in silicon with diamond pallet stones for resistance to wear and long life. The escapement, made as lightweight as possible by the use of high-tech materials, contributes significantly to the performance of this watch, which greatly exceeds the requirements of the Swiss Official Chronometer. On the dial side, the movement displays its modern architecture with sharply cut bridges tempered by a sunburst satin finish and Geneva stripes. As an additional token of excellence, the painstaking work of chamfering all the edges has taken more than 130 hours. The indications are shown on two dials that partially cover the baseplate so as to reveal the outlines and contemporary finish of the movement. On the right, the retrograde minutes and hours hands describe a semicircle over a sunburst satin finish punctuated by applied white-gold hour markers and a black minutes scale. Placed symmetrically, the tourbillon carriage carries the second’s pointer around a scale on a silvered disc. The Poinçon de Genève hallmark is exceptionally also engraved on the dial side above the inscription “Armillary Tourbillon” to certify the supreme quality of this timepiece.
Patrimony Traditionnelle 14-day Tourbillon
The 42 mm diameter case watch has a mechanical hand-wound tourbillon movement – Calibre 2260 – endowed with an exceptional 14-day power reserve, thanks to it being equipped with four barrels mounted in coupled pairs. They are all connected and all unwind simultaneously, but naturally four times slower than a single barrel. The four barrel-springs amount to a total length of around 2.20m and each enables approximately 13 development rotations, all in a calibre whose diameter is 29.10mm! Other than the practical aspect of this power reserve, these barrels guarantee a longer stability in time. The architecture of this new Calibre 2260 features, comprising 231 components, two large bridges. The large surfaces thus available serve to highlight the lavish finish of this movement, including the Côtes de Genève that is thus given full scope for expression. Having two extra bridges serves to enhance the precision in terms of assembly, but represents an additional difficulty for the watchmaker who thus has less easy access to the movement. The tourbillon carriage is inspired by the brand’s signature Maltese Cross and provides a splendid showcase for the exceptional level of finishing of each movement part, including a number of interior angles, all naturally hand-bevelled. The rounding off of the tourbillon bar alone takes over 11 hours of manual craftsmanship to achieve an optimal effect. In addition to the tourbillon combined with small seconds at 6 o’clock, Vacheron Constantin Calibre 2260 also drives the slightly off-centred hour and minute functions, as well as a 14-day power-reserve display appearing on a 280° segment for improved readability. The 12 o’clock positioning of the latter indicator on a silver-toned opaline dial, as well as the external minute circle, are inspired by several pocket-watches stemming from the rich heritage of Vacheron Constantin. A slender bezel, a case middle with a fluted base, a screw-down case-back fitted with a sapphire crystal, facetted hour-markers (double at 12 o’clock), 5N pink gold dauphine hands and an historically inspired opaline silver-toned dial adorned with a variety of finishes: all these refined elements contribute to the unmistakable identity of this restrained and technical collection and serve as a reminder that tradition and modernity quite naturally rub shoulders at Vacheron Constantin. Rather than just the movement, the entire watch is stamped with the Hallmark of Geneva.
Métiers d’Art Hommage à l’Art de la Danse
The Métiers d’Art Hommage à l’Art de la Danse collection revisits the ancestral art of Grand Feu grisaille enamelling to highlight the art of classical ballet through several masterpieces by Edgar Degas. Within a white gold frame, Degas’ beloved ballerinas glide gracefully beneath the ever-dancing hands. Chosen by the enameller after extensive research on the dancers’ expression, these paintings represent three key moments in the life of a ballerina: learning, practice and performance. The finesse of Grand Feu grisaille enamel painting reveals the slightest details of the protagonists: the tiniest fold of the tutus, the lace adorning their décolleté, the smooth velvet of the ribbons encircling their neck, the petals of the flowers in their hair, the transparency of tulle and muslin… The dancers glide across a wooden parquet that reflects the light and reveals their shadows. Entirely in the manner of Degas, the Manufacture’s master enamel artist reinterprets the exact moment, the gestures, the pose and the perspective, playing on chiaroscuro light and shade effects to anchor the scene firmly in reality. Framed to perfection by the understated elegance of a finely polished 40 mm-diameter case, the collection is entirely hand-crafted with infinite patience, meticulous care and intense concentration. The music to which the ballerina’s move is the regular beat of the self-winding Calibre 2460, entirely developed and crafted in the Manufacture. The Métiers d’Art Hommage à l’Art de la Danse meet the new standards of the Hallmark of Geneva.
Patrimony Contemporaine Pocket Watch
Vacheron Constantin revisits its past and the golden age of the pocket-watch by presenting a model with a pure, classic and timeless design, bearing the prestigious Hallmark of Geneva. Equipped with the Manufacture-made hand-wound 4440 movement – and housed inside a brown leather pouch sliding along a leather cord strap or fitted on an original chain with pink gold links, this pocket watch sets the tone of authentic contemporary dandyism.
With its voluptuously curved yet elegantly slender case in 18-ct 5N pink gold; its broad, pure opaline silver-toned dial; its pink gold baton-shaped hands and the restrained, delicately applied hour-markers, creative harmony effectively contributes to achieving aesthetic harmony. Developed and crafted according to the most demanding Geneva Fine Watchmaking criteria, the mechanical hand-wound Calibre 4400 is entirely conceived, developed and produced by Vacheron Constantin. Its generous 28.60 mm diameter, magnified by the transparency of the sapphire crystal caseback, is perfectly adjusted to the equally generously sized 43 mm case. Thanks to its imposing barrel, this calibre driving the hour and minutes hands have a power reserve of approximately 65 hours, equivalent to three days.
Malte 100th Anniversary Edition
The Malte 100th Anniversary Edition in Platinum is distinguished by the subtle elegance of its lines, by the curve of its middle section, and by its discreet lugs featuring a delicate shape that accentuates the timeless model. The dial is adorned with painted Roman numerals echoing those on historical models. The 36.7 x 47.6 mm cased watch made of 950 platinum – a rare and precious metal cherished by Vacheron Constantin and which emphasises the refined aesthetic of a watch with a vintage appeal. The watch is equipped with Vacheron Constantin hand-wound Calibre 4400, driving the hour and minute hands. This movement entirely developed and crafted within the Manufacture, and featuring exceptional finishing, is endowed with a 65-hour power reserve thanks to its large barrel. Limited to 100 watches each watch is individually numbered on the caseback and fitted with a strap in blue Mississippiensis alligator leather, secured by a Malte cross-shaped buckle in 950 platinum.
