In the maze of corridors of the Manufacture Vacheron Constantin, whose architecture designed by Bernard Tschumi remains as contemporary – and indeed futuristic – as ever, the Heritage Department is housed in a discreet little office resembling a window onto the past. Here, all eyes and conversations converge on the same subject: the extraordinary heritage of the world’s oldest watch manufacturer enjoying uninterrupted activity since 1755. Its extraordinarily rich heritage is dotted with creations featuring unbridled boldness on which Vacheron Constantin has put its inimitable stamp by dedicating technique to serving elegance. Within the Heritage Department, the long history of the Manufacture is meticulously documented thanks to old registers, period correspondence on yellowed paper, and timepieces that have been resurrected from oblivion at auction.
Two centuries of special displays
Special displays first appeared in watchmaking in the 18th century with jumping hours. At Vacheron Constantin, the very first timepiece with jumping hours dates back to the early 19th century, in 1824. It was not until a little over 100 years later that the Maison’s creativity was expressed through retrograde displays. In 1927, the Manufacture used them on a superb clock carefully preserved in the Vacheron Constantin collections. Adorned in yellow gold, onyx, rock crystal and lapis lazuli, this one-of-a-kind object created in collaboration with Verger Frères features an Art Deco aesthetic, driven by an eightday movement powering a retrograde hour display on the periphery of its fan-shaped structure.
At the time of its introduction, the Roaring Twenties were still in full swing and a daring wind was blowing through the watch industry. In 1930, Vacheron Constantin seized this freedom to create a pocket watch that would serve as the inspiration for many other models over the course of the century, since it perfectly illustrates the range of aesthetic possibilities enabled by special displays. Nicknamed the “arms in the air” watch, this one-ofkind model also preserved by the Heritage Department features an engraved and enameled gold Chinese magician whose arms point to – on demand and at the touch of a 10 o’clock pusher – the hours and minutes on two graduated arcs positioned on either side of the dial.
From Don Pancho to Mercator
In 1940, Vacheron Constantin produced a legendary timepiece that has since been nicknamed Don Pancho after the person for whom it was commissioned. It took four years to develop and produce it. In retrospect, this model is one of only three wristwatches known to have been produced before 1940 that combine a minute repeater with calendar indications and a retrograde hand. Aurel Bacs, the renowned Phillips auctioneer who auctioned the timepiece in 2019, was effusive in his praise of the timepiece: "It is a technical feat and a masterpiece of human genius. The combination of a minute repeater and a calendar with retrograde date had never been seen before and it would be nearly 60 years before we saw something similar." The reasons for this temporarily dampened watchmaking creativity was of course World War II, later followed by the 1970s quartz crisis, two dark periods that did not prevent the watch industry from recovering at the end of the 20th century.
In the 1990s, as mechanical watchmaking rose from the ashes to collectors’ delight, we saw a return of the special displays so dear to Vacheron Constantin. The first striking timepiece of this decade was the Mercator watch unveiled in 1994 as two different versions to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the death of the famous 16th century geographer. The designers of the Manufacture were clearly inspired by 1930s “arms in the air” watches to offer a double retrograde display of the hours and minutes via compass-shaped hands, positioned in a very original way at 12 o’clock. The dial was transformed to provide ample space for expressing artistic crafts. To create these two models, Vacheron Constantin acquired an atlas published in 1587 by Gerard Mercator, the first man to map the world, and reproduced the maps in miniature enamel or engraved on the dials. These two magnificent models perfectly illustrate Vacheron Constantin’s ability to never sacrifice aesthetics on the altar of technique.
Classic with a twist
Three years later, in 1997, Vacheron Constantin once again demonstrated its boldness with another choice timepiece. Dubbed Saltarello, this cushion-shaped yellow gold limited edition features a jumping hour and retrograde minute display on a sunburst silver-toned guilloché dial. A watch reflecting the Manufacture’s signature “Classic with a twist” approach. Since the turn of the century, Vacheron Constantin has made its mark in the field of retrograde displays on several occasions. Reference 47245 presented in 2000 to mark the brand’s 245th anniversary featured a retrograde date display coupled with a classic day display appearing on a subdial at 6 o’clock. Six years later, Reference 86020 became the first double retrograde day-date wristwatch from Vacheron Constantin. The 260th anniversary watch unveiled in 2015 featured a retrograde date and a split-seconds chronograph with a double retrograde hand. This technical demonstration reflected the purest style of the Manufacture, hovering between creative boldness and watchmaking elegance, precision mechanics and discreet refinement. These characteristics can be found throughout the long history of this centuriesold Maison, whose Heritage Department preserves its most beautiful creations as perpetually inspirational treasures.
