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A gorgeous day to ride
out to the Geneva suburb of Plan-Les-Ouates to see the new Vacheron
Constantin movement facility. The planned industrial park is already the
home of the new Patek Philippe, Rolex and Piaget facilities and several
other watch brands will be making the move as well.
As many of you
already know, Vacheron Constantin is the oldest continuously-operating
watch company in existence, and this year celebrates the 250th
anniversary of its founding by Jean-Marc Vacheron.
The new building could
be a page out of Le Corbusier’s 1930’s design book, with an ultra-modern
glass façade and metal skin and even more modernistic touches inside. It’s an absolutely
delightful space for watchmaking, with lots of light and an enormous
central atrium.
Here we see the
complete elevation (stock photo):
…and our first view
from the bus:
Approaching the
building:
…and some views of the
interior:
Starting with the
small museum on the premises, we first came to a display replicating a
1700’s cabinotier’s workshop:
…and a worker’s bench:
A pantograph machine
for copying and reducing designs, created in 1839 by Georges-Auguste
Leschot, known for his marvelous work in advancing mechanical
standardization for the entire industry.
Before Leschot, each
part was rough-made and interchangeability of parts was unknown in the
industry. Sadly, he has never received fame and recognition commensurate
with his accomplishments.
Wanna know how the
elves make all those Oreos?
Before continuing our
tour, we were introduced to M. Pascal Brandt, VC’s Public Relations
Director (left); also in the picture are Ron, Nick and Linda.
Back to the tour: next
we saw a large model of Vacheron’s magnificent in-house Caliber 1400,
which has earned the Poincon de Geneva, or Geneva Seal:
Along with the
movement were the 12 requirements necessary to earn the coveted Poincon:
Next were some elegant
pocket watches
…and four recent
models: Mercator, a custom Patrimony, a classic Malte tonneau and the
famous Saltarello jump-hour with retrograde minutes:
An antique cord-driven
face lathe:
Elegant enamel and
cloisonné work:
Classic one-button
chronograph and pocket watch:
Magnificent 18K with
skeletonized 1120 movement. The Cal 1120 is famous for being the only
ebauche that has been used by each of the ‘Big Three’ houses of Patek
Philippe, Audemars Piguet and Vacheron Constantin for their own individual
movements, all based upon the original Jaeger-LeCoultre ebauche (which JLC
never used in its own line, BTW):
Finally, a marvelous
1935 Tourbillon pocket watch movement recased in a 1991 18K YG case:
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