The exclusive editions within the latest Les Cabinotiers – Récits de Voyages collection mirror Vacheron Constantin’s global expansion. Traversing Europe, the journey delves into Paris, a city where Vacheron Constantin has held its own agent since the early 19th century. The urban layout of present-day Paris stems from the transformative works orchestrated by Georges Eugène Haussmann during the Second Empire. Notably, the Les Cabinotiers Malte Tourbillon – Tribute to Haussmannian Style watch stands out, featuring the in-house manual-winding Calibre 2790 SQ—an ultra-thin skeleton movement adorned with a tourbillon regulator, date, and power reserve.
Vacheron Constantin and Europe
Europe served as fertile ground for Vacheron Constantin. Jean-Marc Vacheron, whose workshop established the Manufacture in 1755, hailed from a family of weavers who had migrated to Geneva. France and Italy swiftly became pivotal commercial hubs for the founder’s successors, with ports like Genoa and Livorno facilitating close connections with merchant fleets. By the early 19th century, following the 1819 partnership between Jacques-Barthélémi Vacheron and François Constantin, the Maison progressively expanded its influence across Europe. By 1850, Vacheron Constantin watches were already distributed throughout the continent.
François Constantin played a pivotal role in this expansion. His travels led him to Paris, where he commenced jewelry sourcing in the 1820s, believing that watches and jewelry should complement each other to appeal to European clientele. Concurrently, his supplier, jeweler Watin, became Vacheron Constantin’s agent in Paris. A crucial encounter with Ferdinand Verger in 1880 sealed a long-lasting and fruitful partnership. The era witnessed significant urban development in Paris, masterminded by Georges Eugène Haussmann. The Récits de Voyages collection by Vacheron Constantin pays homage to this architectural endeavor through the single-piece Les Cabinotiers Malte Tourbillon – Tribute to Haussmannian Style edition.
A Haussmann-style case, top-notch engraving work
To aptly honor the model, a highly architectural, three-dimensional design was chosen. The master engraver meticulously crafted the entire movement and case, drawing inspiration from Haussmann-type façades and embellishing each movement component with motifs reminiscent of the Eiffel Tower’s metal structures. This intricate process demanded 150 hours of work for a watch already exuding Parisian elegance through its harmonious tonneau-shaped case. First introduced in 1912, this ‘barrel’ shape is a part of Vacheron Constantin’s heritage and a characteristic feature of the redesigned Malte collection a century later. The watch pays tribute to the Maison’s creative freedom in an era dominated by conventional round watches.
The 18K 5N pink gold case, an open canvas for the master artisan, features circular-grained bezel and caseback, engraved gadroons, and concave gadroons on the lugs. The case middle becomes a showcase for artistry, incorporating a bas-relief sculpture of a lion, inspired by Haussmann’s encouragement of ornamentation, with the feline surrounded by a frieze. The engraver, using champlevé and meticulous techniques, brings the lion to life with an accuracy corresponding to 4/10ths of a millimeter for the lion and 2/10ths for its frieze. This delicate process, balancing the gleam of metal and the relief of volumes, culminates in a shimmering decoration.
A fully openworked and engraved ultra-thin movement, Calibre 2790 SQ
The ultra-thin Calibre 2790 SQ, measuring just 6.1 mm thick, represents a technical feat with its tonneau shape and tourbillon regulator. Introduced in 2014, this skeleton movement comprises 246 components, showcasing hours, minutes, small seconds on the tourbillon, date, and power reserve. The movement’s three-dimensional decoration is achieved through complete skeletonization, offering a striking view of the regulating organ oscillating at 2.5 Hz. The axis of the hour hands has been slightly adjusted to provide more space for the tourbillon carriage shaped like a Maltese cross, the Maison’s emblem since 1880.
The engraver meticulously refines the skeletonized components, especially the fixed parts, mainplate, and bridges, to ensure optimal light reflection and an impression of lightness. This tonneau-shaped Calibre 2790 SQ, with its absence of right angles, delivers a captivating horological vision, complemented by the opulent case. Carrying the prestigious Hallmark of Geneva, signifying fine craftsmanship and precision, the Les Cabinotiers Malte Tourbillon – Tribute to Haussmannian Style comes with a dark brown alligator leather strap secured by a folding clasp, also engraved in the style intended to “aerate, unify, and embellish” Paris, precisely as Prefect Haussmann envisioned.
Les Cabinotiers Récits de Voyages series
Vacheron Constantin’s legacy involves perfecting watchmaking in Geneva while embracing global exploration. Jacques-Barthélémi Vacheron and François Constantin, the founders’ descendants, traversed the roads of France, Italy, Central Europe, South America, Scandinavia, and Asia, establishing commercial relations during the 18th and 19th centuries. The Récits de Voyages series embodies the Maison’s enduring spirit of travel, offering a horological odyssey through craftsmanship and mechanical artistry.
For more information, please visit Vacheron-Constantin.com.