To mark the 100th anniversary of the American 1921, Vacheron Constantin is drawing on its archives, as well as its expertise, to recreate a faithful reproduction of a model that marked an era. The fruit of an incredible technical and human adventure, the creation of the American 1921 Pièce unique watch involved the specialists of the Maison's Restoration workshop and Heritage department for a whole year. This approach expresses Vacheron Constantin's commitment to the preservation, transmission and enrichment of its heritage and savoir-faire. The original 1921 model was produced in only 24 pieces and today only one of these is part of Vacheron Constantin's private collection: it is obviously a very rare timepiece, highly sought-after by collectors and connoisseurs. The Heritage and Restoration Departments are committed to perpetuating the art of Haute Horlogerie and, as the idea of faithfully recreating the American 1921 from Vacheron Constantin's private collection took shape, we realised how exciting and ambitious the project was at the same time. Vacheron Constantin's Heritage department represents a trait d'union between the past and the future of the Maison and occupies a special place within the Manufacture, housing 800 machine tools, workbenches and watchmaking tool sets, as well as substantial documentary and iconographic archives. Four hundred and twenty linear metres house numerous production and accounting records, including foreign sales, correspondence between members, suppliers and customers, various documents and photographs. This heritage made it possible to trace the history of American 1921 and served as a starting point for the restoration workshop teams. Its specialists were able to take up the challenge of reviving some forgotten skills and combining today's techniques with yesterday's savoir-faire. The American 1921 Pièce unique will take centre stage until the end of the year, on display in Vacheron Constantin boutiques around the world. To reproduce the operations of yesteryear, craftsmen have worked with some historical tools kept by Vacheron Constantin's Heritage department. Thanks to a late 19th century fixed burin lathe, for example, they were able to faithfully recreate the elements that make up the case. The watchmakers also used an 18th century vertical drilling machine to drill the movement plate, while they used an early 20th century vertical drilling machine to set the rubies. These historical machines were complemented by tools made especially for the project, such as custom-made milling and riveting machines similar to those of the early 20th century, reproducing the operations and techniques of the time as best as possible. The result of this stylistic exercise is an exceptional collector's item that symbolises the Maison's constant commitment to the transmission, enhancement and enrichment of its expertise. The watch uses a 39 mm case in 18-carat 3N yellow gold (same alloy as the original 1921 model), obviously hand-made, with a Grand Feu enamel dial and "pomme" hands blued in the restoration workshop. As for the movement, apart from the bridges and the mainplate, which had to be recreated, the availability of the restoration workshop proved to be a gold mine for the craftsmen, who thus had access to all the necessary raw components. The result is the calibre 1921 (11 lines, 4.31 mm thick, 18,000 vibrations per hour, 115 components, 16 jewels), a hand-wound mechanical movement with around 30 hours of power reserve. In conclusion, then, from the 'recreation' of the 11-line Calibre Nouveau to the gold case, via the decorations and external components, Vacheron Constantin's American 1921 Pièce unique reproduces the original features of the model dating back exactly a century.
