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In 2010, Vacheron Constantin is proud to unveil a new complicated timepiece to join its Collection Excellence Platine – the Patrimony Traditionnelle “Calibre 2253” watch.

The new Calibre 2253 was created by the brand’s engineering department. The development of the movement required more than several thousands of hours. It provides such sophisticated functions as a perpetual calendar, the equation of time and the times of sunrise and sunset. Moreover, it incorporates a tourbillon escapement.

Although boasting the amazing mechanical complexity, the Calibre 2253 provides a remarkable power reserve – about 336 hours (equal to 14 days). It became possible due to two pairs of coupled barrels. The power reserve is visible via a sapphire-crystal case-back.

The equation of time, one of the most charming horological complications, serves for indicating the difference in minutes between the variable solar time revealed by a sundial and the constant mean time of wristwatches and clocks. It should be mentioned that solar time and mean time coincide just four times a year, exactly on April 15, June 14, September 1 and December 24. As for the rest of the year, the difference between solar and mean time varies from – 16 minutes to + 16 minutes.

Instruments able to calculate the equation of time are very rare, having been created only by highly accomplished horologists.

In the Patrimony Traditionnelle “Calibre 2253” watch, the work of the equation of time complication depends on the equation cam, representing a waisted oval, the shape of which reminds a figure 8. Its calculation is performed according to the daily declination of the sun observed from a given point. With the cam rotating once a year, a special hand follows its contour, indicating the equation of time between 10 and 11 o’clock on the dial.

The new Vacheron Constantin watch displays another rare horological function – the sunrise and sunset times throughout the year at a given region. This complication also works with help of a cam, with its outline calculated according to the latitude of the region. It is remarkable that the brand’s clients can choose the region of the sunrises and sunsets.

The tourbillon carriage features the signature shape of Vacheron Constantin’s emblem, a Maltese Cross. It rotates once a minute, being presented at 6 o’clock, along with the small seconds indication.

The perpetual calendar indications are positioned symmetrically – the days, the months and the dates are found at 9, 12 and 3 o’clock respectively. The leap-year indicator performs a circumspect appearance in the upper right part of the dial.

The sophisticated finish of the Patrimony Traditionnelle “Calibre 2253” watch reflects its complicated nature. The case of the Vacheron Constantin watch, 43 mm in diameter, is crafted in 950 platinum, along with the dial, the crown and the folding clasp shaped as a half of a Maltese Cross. It is remarkable that even the Dauphine hands indicating the hours and minutes are rendered in the same material, representing an outstanding technical prowess.

The dial demonstrates alternating silvered and frosted surfaces, being completed with snailed chapters, circular-brushed sub-dials and diamond-polished filets, as well as applied hour markers and Maltese Cross crafted in white gold. The dial is shielded by a convex sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating on one side.

The Calibre 2253 movement is crowned with the prestigious Hallmark of Geneva, rightfully considered to be the seal of horological perfection, reserved for very few Geneva manufacturers. The movement boasts Cotes-de-Geneve, circular graining, chamfering and straight graining of the steelwork completely performed by hand.

The sophisticated movement comprises 457 parts and is just 9.60 mm thick. The frequency of the balance is 18,000 vibrations per hour.

The Vacheron Constantin Patrimony Traditionnelle “Calibre 2253” watch will be available in an extremely limited edition of just 10 pieces. The timepiece, is 30-meter water-resistant. It is secured to the wrist on a dark blue alligator leather strap, hand-stitched with a platinum thread.

At SIHH 2010, Vacheron Constantin was pleased to unveil its superb new series of watches to join the brand’s Metiers d’Art collection, already highly appreciated by watch connoisseurs for the unique “Les Masques” sets, inspired by tribal masks taken from different cultures of the world and initially unveiled in 2007.

The new Vacheron Constantin Metiers d’Art “La symbolique des laques” collection is devoted to a one-of-a-kind centuries-old Japanese lacquer technique called maki-e. The company will introduce just 20 exceptional sets of the limited edition collection each year.

Each set will demonstrate three signature masterpieces that will pay tribute to natural creations bearing great spiritual or symbolic importance in Japanese culture. The central section in the dial features a cutaway revealing the horological beauty of a skeletonized manually-wound movement, found on the list of the thinnest in the world.

Each watch from the Metiers d’Art La symbolique des laques watch set,  demonstrates an elegantly slender case, measuring 40mm in diameter and sculptured from white or pink gold.

The 18K gold dials depict three pairs of animals and plants: a pine tree presented with a crane, a plum tree and nightingale, and a sparrow depicted on shoots of bamboo. The artisan, responsible for the designs, sprinkles gold and silver in the form of a powder upon freshly applied lacquer originating from the Rhus verniciflua tree.

The first set of the Vacheron Constantin watches was given the name “The Three Friends of Winter.” The set, as interpreted by Japanese culture, symbolizes endurance and longevity in the face of bitter and severe conditions.

Zohiko, one of the oldest and most highly-respected companies specializing on maki-e lacquer in Japan, performs the work. It is interesting to mention that the first Zohiko shop was established in the middle of the 17th century, having gained the prestigious reputation of a highly cherished supplier of lacquered pieces of art to the Japanese Imperial Court.

The new Vacheron Constantin watches also boast a sapphire crystal exhibition case-back that allows to admire perfect and delicate craftsmanship of the 1003 SQ mechanical movement. This is a true masterpiece of mechanical miniaturization that has been completely open-worked by hand. You would actually need a jeweler’s loupe to see all the beauty of the many sophisticated decorative elements of the movement.

Vacheron Constantin’s 1003 SQ caliber, just 1.64mm tall, features elegant ruthenium finishing atop 14K white gold. The gently beating screw balance of the movement performs 18,000 oscillations per hour. The movement is crowned by the Geneva Seal hallmark that honors the movement’s meticulous decoration and architecture, reflecting the best traditions of haute horlogerie schools of Geneva. One more peculiarity of the movement is a 30-hour power reserve.

The Vacheron Constantin Metiers d’Art La symbolique des laques watches are coupled with refined saddle-stitched crocodile leather straps. The straps are equipped with ardillon buckles crafted in white or pink gold, the shape of which looks like half of a Maltese cross.

The renowned watchmaker Vacheron Constantin is honored to be associated with the humanities. The brand eloquently demonstrates its priorities, cooperating with such outstanding personalities as conductor Imma Shara, as well as with universally-known museums, whose tribal art has encouraged the extraordinary line of Les Masques watches.

Established by Jean-Marc Vacheron and Francois Constantin over 250 years ago, the Geneva horological company carries on the centuries old masterful traditions and expertise.

Just as well, the brand expresses its strong commitment to the scientific progress. Since 1948, Vacheron Constantin has annually awarded distinctions to outstanding personalities from the University of Geneva, who achieved a lot in the field of astronomy, mathematics, and other fields.

This year, the watch company has decided on Dr. Dominique Eckert, a post-doctoral researcher in the institution’s Faculty of Science. Dr. Eckert got to the front of the grid due to his impressive treatise “The Integral View of Galaxy Clusters”, thus leaving behind a group of highly-qualified potential candidates at the university.

To recognize Dominique Eckert’s brilliant activity, Vacheron Constantin also bestowed the researcher with its Overseas watch, sculptured in stainless steel.

Demonstrating its character, cast in a sportive style, the Vacheron Constantin Overseas watch comes with a supremely elegant case and bracelet. The case inside has a shield of iron, which serves to protect the mechanism from magnetism.

Animating this masterpiece is a hand-finished automatic mechanical movement.

Vacheron Constantin CEO Juan Carlos Torres, a staunch advocate of the brand’s core values in the upscale venues all over the world, was extremely delighted to present the accolade to Dr.Eckert.

VacheronConstantin has decided to mark the 55th anniversary of the birth of its ultra-thin Calibre 1003 by unveiling a newly designed version of the movement.

Calibre 1003, that tops the list of the most beautiful and refined ultra-thin movements ever created, has been challenging mechanical laws for more than 50 years.

The process of the movement production is extremely sophisticated and the most highly qualified replica watch Vacheron Constantin specialists are responsible for its adjustment.

The redesigned version of the caliber is still the slimmest movement available, with its 1.64 mm thickness and 21.10 mm diameter.

The finishing of the caliber has become even more refined, with its bridges and mainplate sculptured from 18K gold. The 117-part movement operates at a frequency of 18,000 vibrations per hour. The tiny movement provides more than 30 hours of power reserve.

Calibre 1003 boasts an extremely meticulous decoration, with hand-performed Cotes-de-Geneve, bevelling and chamfering, as well as the steel parts drawn with a file. The movement with such supreme finishing is crowned by the prestigious Hallmark of Geneva, a certification guaranteeing the origin, precision, fine craftsmanship and durability of the movement.

Calibre 1003 is housed by a round watch crafted in 4N 18K pink gold. The timepiece, 36 mm in diameter, has been suggested by one of the three historical watches that appeared in 1955, reference 4961.

The new watch demonstrates an even slimmer 4.1 mm case – at the moment the thinnest mechanical hand-wound watch ever created. It is 30-metre water-resistant. It incorporates a transparent sapphire crystal case-back and a titanium casing circle. It will be premiered in 2010.

In 2010, Vacheron Constantin will unveil one more watch, paying homage to its ultra-thin timepieces. It will be a square-shaped watch, inspired by the model, reference 7614, released in 1968 and animated by the renowned ultra-thin self-winding Calibre 1120. The timepiece will join the brand’s Historiques collection.

The new Vacheron Constantin watch is created with updated technical features. It is 30-metre water-resistant. It incorporates a sapphire crystal and a clipped-down solid case-back the same as the original model.

The timepiece measures 35.2 mm along its sides and is even thinner than the 1968 model it is based on – it has a 5.5 mm thickness compared with a 6.52 mm thickness of its predecessor. In fact, it is on the list of the thinnest watches in its category. The timepiece is also animated by the ultra-thin self-winding Calibre 1120.

The exceptional movement boasts a sophisticated construction, being based on a number of unusual technical solutions.

For the new version of the 1968 watch, Vacheron Constantin has rebuilt Calibre 1120 – the movement has maintained its dimensions, its 28 mm diameter and 2.45 thickness, but now it incorporates an 18K gold oscillating weight with the Maltese Cross system. It gives an advantage of a 40-hour power reserve.

The year 2006 marked the launch of the new Vacheron Constantin replica watch collection called Collection Excellence Platine in Limited Edition. On November, 15 the exclusive collection was presented at luxurious Gala in Beverly Hills.

Besides enjoying a perfect opportunity to win the hearts of more watch admirers for its novelty collection, Vacheron Constantin followed a charitable purpose – to offer support to the EBMRF (Epidermolysis Bullosa Medical Research Foundation). The foundation represents a volunteer nonprofit organization involved into contributing into the medical research, medication development and cure for the dangerous skin disease that makes children suffer its bad effects.

The Gala was held due to the efforts of Marc Guten, International Director of VC and Julien Tornare, President of VC, North America. The most prominent Hollywood personalities were invited to join the festivity. The A-list included the conglomeration of stars, including Jennifer Aniston, Holly Robinson-Peete, David Arquette, Gavin Rossdale, Alison Janney, Pete Sampras and Bridgette Wilson-Sampras, Rebecca Romijn, Lauren Graham, and Brenda Strong.

All the guests were really charmed by the private performance of John Legend, three-time Grammy Award winner. The organizers of the event set up a custom-made stage over the swimming pool. The musician proudly wore the exclusive Skeleton Minute Repeater in Platinum on his wrist. In the breaks during the John Legend’s performance famous DJ, DJ AM, entertained the celebrity guests.

During the event guests had a wonderful opportunity to rest their eyes upon replica Vacheron Constantin watches from the Collection Excellence Platine and timepieces entering the Heritage collection. Glamorous models wearing designer platinum dresses took part in the event – they demonstrated the brand’s watches. Besides simply viewing the masterpieces, the guests could touch and feel the elegant hand craftsmanship of every timekeeping creation.

It was a day of pride for venerable Swiss watchmaker Vacheron Constantin and its CEO Juan-Carlos Torres, as the jury panel of “Montres Passion” watch magazine selected the brand’s uniquely elegant Historiques American 1921 timepiece as winner of the 2009 Watch of the Year Prize.

The Historiques American 1921 watch was debuted by Vacheron Constantin at the 2008 Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH) industry exhibition. Created to honor a distinctive cushion-shaped wristwatch the famous Geneva house had created for an American collector during the 1920s, it is immediately recognized by a distinctive off-set 1 o’clock winding crown, and a dial with a striking diagonal orientation. Other elements which give the dial exceptional vintage charm include an eggshell textured sandblast finish, stylized Breguet hour figures, and black oxidized Breguet hands crafted from gold. Crowning the Vacheron Constantin signature is the famous Maltese cross logo, gleaming in the same shade of 18-karat pink gold as the case.

No less splendid is the Vacheron Constantin 4400 movement which appears through the sapphire exhibition caseback. Manufactured in-house by Vacheron Constantin, this hand-wound caliber with a 65-hour power reserve displays an elegant structure of bridges, each perfectly executed with Cotes de Geneve and anglage finishing. As a testament to its exceptional finish, the caliber bears the coveted Geneva Seal hallmark.

“On behalf of Vacheron Constantin, I am infinitely honored to once again receive the Watch of the Year Prize, awarded this year for our Historiques American 1921 model,” said Vacheron Constantin’s CEO Mr. Torres as he took to the podium following his acceptance of the accolade at the Geneva Intercontinental Hotel.

“The jury’s decision rewards and honors the excellence of the watchmaking tradition cultivated by Vacheron Constantin. It is also acknowledges the technical performance and aesthetic elegance of our company, values that have been consistently handed down from one generation to the next for over 250 years. I thank the jury for its choice and I wish to share this prize with my entire personnel.”

Vacheron Constantin also claimed the Montres Passion “Watch of the Year” prize in 2007. That year, it was Vacheron Constantin’s Patrimony Contemporaine Retrograde Day and Date timepiece which emerged as the jury favorite, giving the ancient watchmaking firm yet another laurel in its long list of historic accomplishments.

One of the biggest problems plaguing watch retail is uninformed or misinformed retailers and sales people. The issue stems from the fact that luxury watches are inherently not only very complicated from a functional standpoint, but also when it comes to knowledge of the brand, manner of construction, and with all the minor details important in the personality of a timepiece. What makes things worse are cultural and language barriers that separate the people at a watch manufacture, and those individuals all over the world who are employed to sell the products.

In response to this known fact, esteemed watch brands hold special training seminars focused on not only conveying information to retailers about the newest products, but also dedicated to introducing retail staff into the very heart of the manufacture. Recently Swiss watch maker Vacheron Constantin held two special training sessions, both in the US and in Europe to keep its select retail partners up to date on all things Vacheron Constantin. Those retailers who attended the European training session enjoyed a tour of the manufacture. Being the oldest continuously run watch maker gives Vacheron Constantin special insight on what has changed in the watch world, and the issues that remain constant. No matter how much information is available through the Internet or printed materials, nothing is more powerful than bringing brand representatives together and educating them personally. Not only does this ensure a high level of proficiency among the retailers, but it also allows for collective discussions on the best ways to discuss and present the luxury watches. As such, the brands and salespeople all feel part of something great and currently should be quite up to date on the brand’s latest products. If you find yourself speaking with a Vacheron Constantin representative, be sure to test their knowledge