Vacheron Constantin supports as a sponsor the exhibition organised in Milan by the Poldi Pezzoli Museum and entitled "The Shape of Time". The exhibition tells the story of man's relationship with time through codices, sculptures and paintings, as well as a precious selection of Italian night watches from the 17th century. The contents of the exhibition reflect the tradition of Vacheron Constantin, which has reached over 265 years of history. The wealth of technical and stylistic experience linked to its evolution over the centuries is an invaluable heritage from which the Maison still draws today and which is reflected in a collection of precious historical timepieces. Indeed, Vacheron Constantin preserves an important selection of over 1,500 watchmaking creations including pocket watches, wristwatches and clocks, as well as an important collection of archive documents. "The historical aspects of watchmaking and everything that revolves around them are of great interest to us. They belong to the culture of mankind as we owe many achievements to their evolution. In particular, the selection of seventeenth-century nocturnal clocks that enlivens part of the exhibition is a prelude to clocks with chimes, created with the same objective: to tell the time in the dark. Even today, minute repeaters and chiming watches are, for Vacheron Constantin, timepieces that fully express the savoir-faire of the Manufacture's excellence. Moreover, it was precisely to the development of chiming watches that the famous phrase from the merchant François Constantin to his watchmaking partner Jacques Barthélémi Vacheron referred do better if possible, which is always possible, a motto that dates back to 1819 and still well expresses the philosophy of our Maison today,' comments Marco Pagani, Brand Manager Vacheron Constantin Italy. Chime watches, born to meet the same requirements as night watches, occupy a special place among watchmaking complications. Vacheron Constantin has been making them since 1806, the year in which Jacques-Barthélémy, the founder's grandson, entered a gold pocket model with a minute repeater in the first register of the Maison's archives. In homage to chiming watches, the complication par excellence of Haute Horlogerie, Vacheron Constantin's atelier called "Les Cabinotiers" has recently developed a series of unique creations on the theme of "La Musique du temps". These include the model visible in the photo, namely "La Musique du temps" Les Cabinotiers minute repeater tourbillon, the four seasons, autumn. It is a wristwatch in a 44 mm white gold case, with a hand-wound mechanical movement and hours, minutes small seconds functions on the tourbillon cage; minute repeater (hours, quarters and minutes on request), tourbillon. The 18-carat gold dial bears the representation of a masterpiece of miniaturisation, combining artisanal engraving (bas-relief) and the champlevé enamelling technique to represent the autumn season. This timepiece, certified by the Hallmark of Geneva, is a unique piece.
