History in The Making

Today I'll be going over the history of Vacheron Constantin.

Vacheron Constantin is one of the oldest watch manufacturers being founded in 1755 by Jean-Marc Vacheron.

Today Vecheron Constanting is part of the Richmont Group.

Vacheron Constantin has a small employee scale compared to that of Rolex, it only employs about 400 people world wide.

Vacheron Constantin made their first complication in 1770, 9 years after the first engine turned dial was invented by this marvelous company.

The name Vacheron Constantin came to be in around 1819 when then owner Jaques-Barthèlemy realized he needed help running the growing company. François Constantin became his assosiate and tats how Vacheron & Constantin came to have its name.

The watchmaking company has a motto and it states "Do better if possible and that is always possible".

In 2003 Vacheron Constantin introduced a new sports line called Overseas, and a collection called Egérie, the first to include watches for women.

In 2004 Vacheron Constantin opened its new headquarters and manufacture in Plab-les-Ouates, Geneva.

The Richmont Group named Juan Carlos Torres as the CEO of the company in October 2005. Vacheron Constantin is considered to be company that was able to create one of the most complicated wristwatches in the world entitled Tour de I'lle. It was created in 2005 to mark the anniversary of 250 years of Vacheron Constantin. The watch includes 834 parts and 16 horological complications. It was only available through the Vacheron Constantin shop in Geneva, Switzerland and sold for more than $1 million.

In 2007 Vacheron Constantin introduced the Metiers d'Art 'Les Masques' collection of timepieces featuring miniature reproductions of primitive art masks. The company selected twelve masks from a private museum collection and reproduced the masks on a small scale. The miniaturized masks are featured in the dial center of every watch from the 'Les Masques' collection.

See More of the Metiers d'Art 'Les Masques    More of Metier d'Art collection

Vacheron Consantin sells about 20,000 timepieces a year today.

Top 10 Most Beautiful Watches

Top 10 Most Beautiful Watches

#10 Harry Winston Opus 11

The Opus 11 includes 155 jewels and 566 components.
The center hour circle displays the hour with 24 placards that revolve and rotate on a complicated system of gears attached on an epicycloidal gear-train.
Click here to read more about the Opus 11

#9 Breguet Grande Complication Tourbillon 5317

#8 Jaeger-LeCoultre è Duomètre à Sphérotourbillon

Click here to read more about this JLC

#7 Jaeger-LeCoultre Duometre Unique Travel 

Click here to read more

#5 Rotonde de Cartier Astrocalendaire

Click here to read more about this Astrocalendaire

#4 Ulysse Nardin Moonstruck

#3 Patek Philippe Ref 6102 Grand Complications 

 

Patek Philippe knows what they are doing! This distinguished Grand Complication lives up to its name, coming in at number 2. Click here to read more

#2 A. Lange & Söhne Perpetual Calendar Terraluna


The Terraluna comes in a case choice of rose gold or white gold, both with a solid silver dial.
It displays minutes, hours, seconds, and a leap year indicator positioned accordingly.

The movement (above) is pure beauty at its finest.

Click here to read more about this Perpetual Calendar

#1 Van Cleef & Arpels' Midnight Planetarium Watch:

It is now possible to wear the night sky on your wrist.

The dial displays Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn with a rose cold casing. 

The month, days, and a red marker for your special day, are all displayed along the bezel.

This piece of arm candy is perfection what with its gems for the corresponding planets.

It is true to the actual planet's revolution around the sun.

This extraordinary time piece includes the gems: 

Serpentine for Mercury

Chloromelanite for Venus

Turquoise for Earth

Red Jasper for Mars

Blue Agate for Jupiter

Sugilite for Saturn
Click here to read more about it

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Optic Marvel

Harry Winston Opus 11

Today I am writing about the Harry Winston Opus 11! It definitely has one of the most unique watch displays that I've seen so far.

The Opus 11 is limited edition with only 111 in the world.

The case, available in white gold, surrounds a sapphire-crystal dome.

The watch reminds me of a phoropter, the instrument used by an eye physician to check your vision.

The main circle (above) is where the hour is displayed with the peculiar, yet amazing arrangement.

The number in the middle of the hour circle gets reassembled every hour, then remains still for the next 60 minutes. 

There are 24 placards, that move and rotate to display the number in the center.

The top right circle (above) displays the minutes on a jumping disk for the tens place and a running disk for the individual units. An indicator points at the current time.

The bottom right circle (above) shows the beat of a big titanium balance-wheel.

The Opus 11 includes:

24 conical pinions

155 jewels 

566 components

The power reserve lasts for 48 hours until the crown on the top left corner has to be wound again.

The Opus 11 looks wonderful paired with a black leather strap.

Here is a video on YouTube of the Opus 11 that I stumbled upon:

The way the numbers rotate and assemble is completely ingenious!

Visit our professional Watch Repair site

Thank you for reading ladies and gentlemen! 

(-Priscilla)

Now This Is A Complication

Frank Muller Aeternitas Mega 4

With 36 complications the Franck Muller Aeternitas Mega 4 is one of the most complex timepieces ever.

This stunning timepiece has 25 complications visible.

This timepiece has a monstrous 1,483 components with 99 Jewels.

Arguably the most complicated wrist watch ever made this timepiece fetches a price of 2.7 million USD

Calibre FM 3480 QPSE

Frank Muller

"Mechanic Tourbillon, Carillon Westminster on 4 hammers and 4 gongs, Chronograph with fly-back mechanism and only one push-piece, Perpetual Calendar Secular, Equation of time, Two additional time zones, Automatic self-winding mechanism for the movement and the Westminster carillon."

This movement measures 34.4 mm x 41.4 mm x 13.65 mm

Which might seem large but taking count of sheer amount of components and complications is actually small.

This amazing Movement also has a power reserve of 3 days/strike 24 hours.

18,000 VPH

You can see this timepiece in 3 different models below!

Heres a bit more on what Frank Muller has to say about this outstanding timepiece

AETERNITAS MEGA 4

"The Aeternitas Mega – the most complicated wrist-watch - is the pinnacle of success in the art of watch-making in terms of complexity and complications. A grandiose work of art culminating in the design of the most complex wrist-watch ever made in the world thanks to the multifaceted skills of our watch-makers and constructors. Each of the 1,483 components was designed to give the watch an elegant design in the pure traditions of the old “cadraturiers” of the Vallée de Joux, Switzerland. This watch inspires countless emotions and make it simply unique in the eyes of lovers in the art of fine mechanics and luxury watch making.

From the very beginning, the Mega was incorporated into the Aeternitas project and is, indeed, the culmination of this project. The Aeternitas Mega 4 is the only “Grand Sonnerie” time-keeper in which the Tourbillon is visible on the dial side, which limits the space available for the “Grand Sonnerie” mechanism and thus makes the design even more complicated.

The glass sapphire case back enables the harmoniously chiselled and decorated pieces that overlap to be admired in a stunning combination as a dazzling ballet. This masterpiece was entirely designed and manufactured by the Franck Muller group and once again demonstrates their vast array of skills and ability in the Art of Haute Horlogerie."

As you can see they have a lot to say about their timepiece and who wouldn't this timepiece is truly a milestone in Frank Mullers great history.

This magnificent timepiece is made in 3 different styles

All with a Case Dimensions of  42.00 mm x  61.00 mm x  19.15mm 

A Hand Sewn Alligator Strap

3 ATM Water Resistance which is about 30 meters.

Display: Hours, Minutes, 24 hours, Chronograph, Fly-back, Minutes counter, 

hour counter retrograde, two time zones, Movement power reserve 

Display of the chime: Grande or petite chime 

Chime or silence 

Chime power reserve 

Perpetual calendar display: Date retrograde, Day, Month, Year, Leap year (cycle of 4 years), no 

leap year (cycle of 100 years), leap year (cycle of 400 years), Equation 

of time 

Cintrée Curvex 8888

 18 carat white gold

Dial: Sun-stamped lacquered white dial with black Arabic numerals 

Cintrée Curvex 8888 

18 carat white gold 

Full set baguettes red rubies

Dial: Sun-stamped lacquered white dial with black Arabic numerals 

Cintrée Curvex 8888 

18 carat white gold with black PVD treatment 

Dial: Sun-stamped lacquered black dial with red Arabic numerals 

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Batman/Bruce Wayne's Time Piece

What Watch Would Batman/Bruce Wayne Wear?!

Fiction Billionaire Bruce Wayne is actually one of the most famous billionaires in reality. But what time piece would this billionaire playboy/dark knight wear?

The answer is a Jaeger Le-Coultre 

More Specifically the Jaeger Le-Coultre Reverso Grande Taille 

Yup this billionaire crime fighter wears this classy timepiece.

You can see Bruce Wayne wear this timepiece in Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins

But lets go a bit further in time and you can see the Batman wearing this timepiece in Batman Forever by 

Here's the link to the scene. Batman Wears Jaeger Le-Coultre Reverso Grande Taille

The Jaeger Le-Coultre Reverso Grande Taille is very affordable compared to many other timepieces I've written about it is actually under the 10k range in most occasions. It has a Jaeger Le-Coultre caliber 822that has 134 parts 21 jewels with a power reserve of 45 hours.

This timepiece has a 3 bar about 90 meters of water proof 

Measuring 42.2 mm long and 26 mm wide

width is 9.3 mm.

So for any Batman fan this is the watch to get!

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Your Century, Your Millenia

The Urwerk UR-1001 Zeit Device 
  

This is the first pocket watch that I've written about.

I find this watch to be spectacular. It looks to me like a modern World War device.

  

  

It holds seconds, minutes, and hours like a standard watch; the Ur-1001 Zeit Device displays the day/night, the date, month, years. 

  

There is a power reserve indicator, the power lasts for 39 hours in which it will have to be wound with the three-position winding crown.

  

  

On the back it displays the century and millennium! The UR-1001 also has an oil indicator on the back that lets you know when it needs servicing!

Components & Specifications

  

Now let's head into the components and specifications. It is 23mm thick and, when holding it in the face up upright position, it is 106mm tall and 62mm wide.

  

  

The glass in the case is sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating so nothing gets in the way of that marvelous display. The case itself is AlTiN treated steel with titanium elements.

  

It is water resistant to 3 ATM. It has a total of 51 jewels.

  

  

The UR-1001 includes a hand-made, heat-blackened steel linked chain with a bespoke Urwerk clasp with carbineer closure. Which I believe is replaceable but what is better than the original, right? 

As always visit our website for excellent professional services on your fine time pieces! 

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The Four Corners of The World!

The Four Corners of The World!

This is a video Vacheron Constantin Released in 2011 and I found it very interesting so I thought I'd share it with you guys.

Part of their Métiers d'Art collection Vacheron brings are and history into this collections and integrates them into their timepieces making marvelous creations. These are just four that have been released throughout the years.

Vacheron Constantin

"These are truly works of art that demonstrate the talent and outstanding expertise of the company's  master craftsmen over the years."

I wrote another blog about this collection previous that you can go read

Another artful collection

I am very fond of this collection because it takes many things into count.

History, culture, living , and many other things.

Not to mention the way they integrate it into their timepiece to make something completely new.

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