vacheron constantin

Vacheron Constantin Historiques Aronde 1954 Watch Hands-On

What a strange bird. This is the Vacheron Constantin Historiques Aronde 1954 watch for 2011 (and I suppose also for 1954). This retro revival has the name of an avian and "wings" on the side of the case. This is 1950's era watch design experimentation in full force. My favorite part of the watch is the dial - that has vertical or horizontal lines that go in a few directions.

The oddly shaped case is however comfortable on the wrist. It is 31.20mm wide by 44.50mm tall. It has a curved sapphire crystal and is done in 18k pink gold. Inside the Aronde is a Vacheron Constantin made caliber 1400 AS manually wound movement. The alligator strap is very high-quality and brand lovers will appreciate the Maltese Cross buckle. While interesting, aside from being a vintage redo, there isn't much to say about the Aronde watch. It will not satisfy all people's tastes, but that is OK. Enough retro watch lovers will appreciate the historic design and Vacheron sense of quality to peck these timepieces up.

Ariel Adams publishes the wrist watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.

Gallery: Vacheron Constantin Historiques Aronde 1954 Watch

Tags: 1954, aronde, historiques, review, vacheron constantin, watch, watches

Vacheron Constantin Patrimony Contemporaine Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin Watch

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

The theme of many of this year's watches at SIHH was sellability versus novelty. There is next to nothing new or exciting about this new incredibly long-named Vacheron Constantin Patrimony Contemporaine Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin watch. Though it is a handsome fellow. It will sell well in Asia - what else can I say? My favorite part of the watch is something which is hard to tell in this image. That being the fact that the blue background of the moonphase indicator is lapis lazuli.

I give the watch a hard time because it doesn't feel special - that doesn't mean it isn't. A watch like this will have a timeless appeal, which is enhanced by its easy to read time, 41mm width (in 18k pink gold), and very slim case. Inside the watch is a Vacheron Constantin made Calibre 1120 QP automatic perpetual calendar movement. Look for it later this year.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: 2011, calendar, patrimony, perpetual, Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie, sihh, thin, vacheron constantin, watch

Vacheron Constantin Patrimony Contemporaine Venezuela Limted Edition Watch

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

Lots of "watch"attention down on South America. Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, and now Venezuela. I feel as though there is some entity out there that reports to the luxury watch world on when certain cultures, countries, or groups have special events - so that someone can make a limited edition watch for the occasion. In this instance, Vacheron Constantin is celebrating the 200th anniversary of Venezuela's independence. This was back in 1810 under the famous General Simon Bolivar. Vacheron Constantin indicates that it was doing business in the region starting as early back as 1835, though sales didn't start in Venezeula until about 1922.

Based on the newer Patrimony Contemporaine, the watch will be highly limited with just 19 pieces made. Ten will be in rose gold, and nine in platinum. The watch features a beautifully made in-house manually wound Calibre 1400 movement, and a very simple, minimalist dial. Special to this watch is the caseback, which includes a special engraving to honor the special anniversary for the country.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: limited edition, vacheron constantin, venezuela, watch

Vacheron Constantin Métiers d'Art Limited Edition Watch For The Opéra National de Paris

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

Vacheron Constantin has released a sneak preview of an upcoming limited edition watch with a dial that will replicate Marc Chagall's famous ceiling for the Paris Opera House (Opera National de Paris). Details are this point are quite scant, but this highly limited edition Vacheron Constantin Métiers d'Art watch will feature a beautifully hand done replica of the ceiling. Over the last several years Vacheron Constantin has been wowing its fans with Metiers d'Art collection watches that come out about once a year, and all utilize impressive artistic techniques.

The fact that the ceiling mural is round sure helps it fit into a watch dial. The design will even feature some of the sculpted decor around the periphery of the mural (that will be on the bezel of the watch). No details yet on the complications or materials used in the watches. Vacheron Constantine has been a sponsor of the Opera National de Paris since 2007. We will get more details about this upcoming high-luxury watch collection in November.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: limited edition, marc chagall, metiers dart, opera, paris, vacheron constantin, watch

Vacheron Constantin Overseas Chronograph Watch For Greece

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

The second I saw this I got a chuckle. A limited edition luxury watch for Greece? Are they calling it the "Bail-Out Special?" The subject of countless articles and media coverage, everyone on the planet knows that Greece is outta cash. Without the EU's help, Greece was about to go the way of Circuit City. Well Greece is still kicking and Swiss luxury watch maker Vacheron Constantin has just released a limited edition version of their Overseas Chronograph for the Greek elite. Perhaps it is for all those high-up Government people who absconded with public money? The 100 pieces will have dark blue guilloche engraved dials with matching blue straps. The watch will come with a rubber as well as blue crocodile strap. The steel watch is the chronograph version of the brand's popular sport watch. Innards are the same in-house made automatic chronograph movement as the non-limited Overseas Chronograph models. The back of the watch has a special engraving for the Greek piece - Grecian Trieme ship, as opposed to the Amerigo Vespucci sailing vessel that is on other versions. The 100 pieces are available only on the Greek market. A beautiful piece indeed, but the timing is surely off. Price is 14,600 euros.

See more images right here on Vacheron Constantin's forum The Hour Lounge.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: greece, greek, overseas, Vacheron Constantin, watch

Vacheron Constantin Overseas Dual Time in Titanium

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches, Men's Style

Swiss watchmaker Vacheron Constantin has come out with a new version of its stylish Overseas model in rugged steel and titanium. Priced at $13,900, the new Overseas Dual Time Steel and Titanium model is equipped with a dual time-zone display powered by a mechanical self-winding Calibre 1222. The sporty watch is finished in a monochromatic palette with shades of grey created by the steel base, the titanium bezel and the slate grey dial. It features the Overseas collection's hefty 42 mm case, bezel with a cut-out inspired by the Maltese Cross, water resistance to a depth of 150 meters, and the emblematic Overseas motif depicting a two-masted sailboat engraved on the solid case-back. The watch comes with two straps, one in anthracite grey alligator leather and the other in black rubber. An extremely light metal that is resistant to corrosion, erosion and fire, titanium was initially developed for use in the aeronautical, aerospace, chemical and medical industries.

Tags: alligator, steel, Switzerland, titanium, Vacheron Constantin, watch

Vacheron Constantin Lady Kalla Flame Watch In The Flesh

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry, Timepieces / Watches

Over a year ago I wrote about a new jewelry watch from Vacheron Constantin known as the Lady Kalla Flame. It used a new type of gem cut known as the "flame cut." Click on the link above to learn more about the technical details of the watch. In short, it uses a small manually wound mechanical Vacheron Constantin movement - tiny really. The main show are the 200 flame cut diamonds all over the watch - set in an interesting manner that help emphasize the particular shape of the cut. The dial itself is also shaped like the flame cut stones.

Based on the images alone from last year I wasn't sure if the stones would make for a good base on which to build a stunning women's haute jewelry watch. Vacheron Constantin is known for pretty sexy jewelry watches - so their little flame watch should have made a big splash. You need a sexy watch to go with over 36 carats of precious stones.

Finally I was able to see the Lady Kalla Flame watch myself. It is a very emotional design, a watch third, ultra-high end piece of jewelry second, and a unique design experiment first. It is a success but I am afraid it is either ahead of or behind its time. It is an optimistic wild design for era of more flagrant spending and wealth. It is about as sober feeling as a tray of martinis. Not what most people call for in this time of subdued, conservative wealth.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Gallery: Vacheron Constantin Lady Kalla Flame Watch

Tags: diamond, flame, kalla, lady, vacheron constantin, watch

Vacheron Constantin Patrimony Traditionnelle Perpetual Calendar Chrono Platinum Watch

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

With a name like Vacheron Constantin Patrimony Traditionnelle Perpetual Calendar Chrono Platinum watch, what could I possibly add to a discussion about this timepiece? I mean it pretty much sums it up in a four breath title suitable for the king of a no longer existing nation.The 43mm wide watch in all platinum is one of the major highlights of Vacheron Constantin's 2010 watch collection - an offering marked by stark traditionalism and brand DNA. I like this watch because of the straight forward layout of the information as well as the nicely contrasting colors on the dial. Together the looks is very attractive and even displays a trendy gray demeanor throughout the watch. It isn't hard to realize the watch isn't for you, but you can't deny that this is one splendid timepiece.

The movement is all hand-done - displayed through the watch's sapphire caseback window. The In-house made Vacheron Constantin Calibre 1141QP movement features a perpetual calendar (displaying the day, date, month, and leap year), moon phase indicator, 30 minute column wheel chronograph, and the time with a subsidiary seconds dial. I would have liked the movement to be an automatic, but the view you get of the movement in very impressive.

You can tell in the image I snapped that the platinum polish is impressive. Careful though, as platinum begins to pick up hairline scratches easily. Also, platinum is heavy, so you'll need to not be a wimp to wear one of these. I like the character of the moon phase face. It is hard to see here, but check out the Vacheron Constantin marketing image of the watch below to see the Bell Epoque style "emo" moon face. One side of the moon disc has a moon that is frowning, with the other side being a moon that is smiling, I believe. Not sure about price, but I wouldn't believe a nickle under $100,000.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Gallery: Vacheron Constantin Patrimony Traditionnelle Perpetual Calendar Chrono Platinum Watch

Tags: 2010, chronograph, Patrimony, perpetual calendar, PerpetualCalendar, platinum, SIHH, Vacheron Constantin, VacheronConstantin, watch

Vacheron Constantin Historiques 1955 and 1968 Watches

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

With an official debut soon at SIHH 2010 in January here is a peek at two new Vacheron Constantin watches - the Historiques 1955 (round dial) and 1968 (square dial). Both watches are going to be smaller in size and much thinner than what we are used to. The 1955 is 36mm wide and the 1968 watch is a 35.2mm wide square. Vacheron Constantin is on this "vintage kick" lately. so expect to see more of these retro-themed watches. They don't have the wow factor you are used to when looking at them, but they are comfy to wear, and surprisingly easy to read - trust me. Worth the big prices though? Maybe, if you are a brand enthusiast.

Most of the appeal is inside the watch as they each have 100% in-house made movements. Each is super thin, and manually wound. The Historiques 1955 has a caliber 1003 movement, while the 1968 has a caliber 1120 movement in it. Interestingly enough, the movements are in 18k yellow gold. The watch cases themselves are in something called 4N gold. The alloy is somewhere between yellow and rose gold in color. The watches will be officially unveiled in January in Geneva, and I will be there to take lots of paparazzi style pictures.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: 1955, 1968, historiques, SIHH 2010, Sihh2010, vacheron constantin, VacheronConstantin, watch

Vacheron Constantin Historiques American 1921 Watch Wins Editor's Prize For 2009 Watch Of The Year In Switzerland

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

Each year the popular (in Switzerland) watch magazine Montres Passion releases a few "Watch of the Year" prizes. The most important of which is the jury award that the magazine itself gives based on their editorial considerations for the best watch. The second most important category is their public chosen prize.

Winning the 2009 Watch of the Year prize is the Vacheron Constantin Historiques American 1921 watch. To be honest it is not one of my favorites, but I can't deny that it is interesting and attractive. The very classic looking watch is a remake of a timepiece originally made by Vacheron Constantin in the 1920s based upon a request by an American client of theirs. He wanted something that could be read easily, without having to turn his arm as much toward himself.

The watch is 40mm wide and cushion shaped in a 18k rose gold case. You can easily see how the dial itself is skewed. Inside is Vacheron Constantin manufacture made Calibre 4400 manually wound movement with subsidiary seconds dial. As an homage to classic watches, a timepiece like this is hard to beat, but I am curious as to why that alone allowed for it to be judged Watch of the Year 2009 by the learned watch editors in Switzerland. You'll soon see how it compared with the public prize.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: Historiques American 1921, HistoriquesAmerican1921, vacheron constantin, VacheronConstantin

Vacheron Constantin Three Dragons Limited Edition Watches

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

Vacheron Constantin recently opened up a new boutique in Hong Kong. To celebrate, they have also released three new limited edition Dragon watches. There will only be nine of each of the three watches made in this highly limited edition. The dragon motifs are each hand made, involving an incredible amount of delicate work. in addition to the hand applied decoration, there is also a fair amount of guilloche machine engraving that also requires a very skilled artist to apply.

Each of the three watches is done in a different shade of gold, along with a different image of the Chinese style dragon. Vacheron Constantin is well versed in artistic watch creations such as this. The Mask collections come to mind when thinking of their talents here. Inside the watches is a manufacture made Vacheron Constantin movement, and each is attached to a high quality black alligator strap. Vacheron Constantin is serious about China, not just Hong Kong, as the country is poised to breed a new generation of watch buyers given the current economic growth there in comparison to the rest of the world. Plus, Hong Kong remains one of the most important watch market capitals of the world - so the opening of the new "Flagship Boutique" by Vacheron Constantin there makes sense. I suspect it is the only place that these watches can be acquired.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: boutique, china, collection, dragon, hong kong, HongKong, timepiece, vacheron constantin, VacheronConstantin, watch

Vacheron Constantin Patrimony Contemporaine Pocket Watch Excellence Platine

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

Vacheron Constantin Patrimony Contemporaine Pocket Watch Excellence Platine

Using their brand new manually wound Caliber 4400 movement, Vacheron Constantin releases a new rare pocket watch. This is actually the first time since 1992 that the exclusive Swiss brand has released a new pocket watch. While demand for pocket watches is not nearly the same as for wrist watches, it is a matter of heritage and of course personal style for some.

The Vacheron Constantin Patrimony Contemporaine pocket watch will be included in their Excellence Platine collection for the timepiece is totally done in platinum. It is a smaller in size for a pocket watch, being 43mm wide, but is still heavy given the luxurious material. The dial is classic Patrimony collection-- stark, simple, and elegant. All of the watch itself is in platinum including the case, dial, and hands. The watch comes in a leather pouch with a leather strap to hold the pocket watch. It will be limited to just 50 pieces.

Images via The Hour Lounge.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Gallery: Vacheron Constantin Patrimony Contemporaine Pocket Watch In Platinum

Tags: contemporaine, patrimony, platinum, pocket watch, PocketWatch, vacheron constantin, VacheronConstantin

Vacheron Constantin Watch Belonging to Marlon Brando To be Auctioned off

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

History is filled with special occasion mementos - gifts and relics that help symbolize the times and people we admired or looked to. Watches seem to have a historical relevancy during such instances. Where commemorative watches are either produced for a special event, or just naturally thrown into such events. Old (as well as perhaps modern) Hollywood was filled with the exchange of celebratory gifts. Watch makers located in Hollywood at the time no doubt had a network of personal engravers waiting to personalize a watch - no matter what the request. I find it fascinating to see the many styles of engraving that was done at the time. Here you see engraving that is meant to look more formal, though obviously done by hand, and I've also seen engravings meant to replicate someone's hand writing.

This all has to do with this timepiece being auctioned off later this month by Antiquorum in New York. This is a Gold cased Vacheron Constantin watch that was given to Marlon Brando by Zsa Zsa Gabor in 1954. The watch was produced around that time as well, and represents a style of guilloche engraved dial decoration that you don't see these days anymore. It is said that the watch was given to Brando by Gabor when "On The Waterfront" was released in theaters. The movie went on to win the Academy Award for Best Picture, as well as Best Actor for Brando. It is interesting to think about the message she wrote to him. Space was of course limited on the back of the watch, but other than the fact that Gabor was giving it to Brando on a specific date, it is hard to delineate what their relationship was. Maybe it included a message that only they understood. A Vacheron Constantin watch was a luxury watch back then, as it is now. Conservative auction estimates have this watch going for only $3,000 - $8,000.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: antiquorum, auction, marlon brando, MarlonBrando, on the waterfront, OnTheWaterfront, vacheron constantin, VacheronConstantin, watch, zsa zsa gabor, ZsaZsaGabor

Vacheron Constantin Malte Moon Phase Power-Reserve Watch

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

Combining a moon phase with a power reserve indicator is a rare mix of complications to have with the time (when it is just these three), though it makes sense on this manually-wound watch. This is the new Vacheron Constantin Malte Moon Phase Power-Reserve watch and it comes with an in-house made Caliber 1410 movement that bears the Seal of Geneva.

Vacheron Constantin's classic line of watches continues to evolve, slowly but surely. It is hard to separate this watch from the rest of their collection, but enthusiasts should be able to pick out the differences. The case is in various shades of 18k gold and 39mm wide in a tonneau shape. The moon phase is specially made to be accurate for about 100 years, while the round dial helps with legibility even though it is in a barrel shaped case. The mix of applied Roman and Arabic numerals makes for a sophisticated look that I don't recall seeing in other Vacheron Constantin models. The watches each have a silvered gold dial. Which begs the question of why they even used gold to begin with. The watches comes with a brown or black alligator strap with a folding deployment. Overall the timepiece is a satisfying rendition of what people enjoy most about Vacheron Constantin without straying much from the core appeal of the brand.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: malte, moon phase, MoonPhase, power reserve, PowerReserve, tonneau, vacheron constantin, VacheronConstantin, watch

Vacheron Constantin Les Masques Watches: The Final Collection

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

This is the third and final collection of "Les Masques" (the Masks) watches from Swiss watch maker Vacheron Constantin. The watches are in a limited edition of 25 sets, each with the four watches. My understanding is that you must get all four together. A few lucky people out there will have the entire collection of 12 Les Masques watches from all three collections. Each watch is 40mm wide and has a Vacheron Constantin in-house made automatic mechanical movement. The watches come in a different metal each including 18k yellow, pink, and white gold, as well as one watch in platinum.

For this collection the watches have been inspired from four new historic cultures. We have the pictured mask from China, as well as masks from Indonesia (Oceania), Gabon in Africa, as well as from Mexico. Each is done marvelously and by hand. The masks are incredibly hard to make taking a long time even from master craftspeople. Once a mistake is made, they often have to start all over again. Each watch has a different poem (in French) on the dial. Complications include the hours, minutes, date, and day - each displayed dia a disc visible on four corners of the watch. Really nice timepieces for those who connect with the emotion and history behind the masks and their respective cultures.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reivew site aBlogtoRead.com.

Gallery: Vacheron Constantin Les Masques Watches 2009