Vacheron Constantin is endowed with an exceptional horological heritage and has chosen to highlight one of the many facets of its expertise: chronograph watches. Over a three-month period, the heritage area of the Maison is welcoming a new exhibition dedicated to the history of short-time measurement. The choice of this theme is no coincidence. While the Manufacture has frequently distinguished itself in this field throughout the past century, this year it is presenting “Harmony”: a new collection celebrating its 260^th anniversary and clearly inspired by one of the first wrist chronographs dating from 1928.

1873 - Independent center-seconds watch, quarter repeater

18K yellow gold and niello, white enamel dial with Roman numerals and external minute circle.
Center-seconds hand stop action by a slide piece on the case band.
Caliber RA 19’’ independent second, quarter-repeater.
N° 11823

The exhibition, located on the first floor of Vacheron Constantin’s historical premises on the Quai de l’Ile in Geneva, features around 60 watches selected from the more than 1,300 pieces composing its private collection. They all share a common denominator: the measurement of extremely short periods of time. Alternating between slate grey, garnet red and black in illustrating archive excerpts or details of complex movements, the display décors immediately immerse visitors into a technical world providing a glimpse of just how deeply chronograph mechanisms are embedded in the history of the Maison.

1877 – Chronograph

18K red gold, enameled coat of arms, enamel dial with Roman numerals, small seconds at 6 o’clock and external minute circle.
Chronograph functions by the crown.
Caliber RA 19’’ N II chrono.
N° 10597

As the quest to master time developed, the race for records progressively moved from seconds to fifths, tenths, hundredths and thousandths of a second. Nonetheless, the chronograph is more than ever an indispensable part of Haute Horlogerie collections thanks to its complex and dynamic mechanics. An enduring source of fascination for Fine Watchmaking enthusiasts by its ability to conjure up a sense of speed and power, this type of model remains highly sought-after at auctions around the world.

1916 - Mono-pusher minute-counter chronograph

18K yellow gold, enamel dial with Arabic numbers, 30-minute counter at 3 o’clock, small seconds at 9 and external minute track.
Caliber RA 15’’ chrono.
N° 10643

This new exhibition testifies to an impressive ability to adapt to the most varied demands, in an age when watches were a significant factor in progress, and when scientific or sporting performances were still measured by mechanical devices. When the central sweep-seconds hand was introduced during the latter half of the 18^th century, watchmakers rapidly sought a means of holding it still and making it independent from the mechanism driving the hours and minutes hands. This paved the way for innovations in this domain, as illustrated in the first room of the exhibition. This pocket watch features an independent deadbeat seconds hand. Its movement is composed of two sets of gear trains serving to halt the seconds hand without stopping the watch.

11928 - Mono-pusher minute-counter chronograph - Photo reference 3306

18K yellow gold, silvered dial with Arabic numbers, 30-minute counter at 3 o’clock, small seconds at 9, external minute track and pulsimeter.
Caliber RA 13’’ chrono.
N° 11059

The visit is organised around five themes: simple pocket watches, simple wristwatches, watches displaying various scales, split-seconds chronographs, and finally watches with sophisticated complications. The first section presents so-called simple pocket watches perfectly illustrating this horological heritage in a supremely classic construction. The rounded curves of the smooth-polished cases in 18-carat gold, the immaculate white enamel dials, as well as the slender hands, all promote the perfect readability of the chapter ring and the counters.

1954 - Minute-counter chronograph, reference 6087

18K yellow gold, “cow horn” lugs, water resistant.Silvered dial with Roman numerals and baton indexes, 30-minute counter at 3 o’clock, small seconds at 9, external minute track, tachymeter.
Caliber 13’’ -942.
N° 11056

From the 1910s onwards, the chronograph migrated to the wrist. While it still bore the hallmarks of former pocket-watch versions, it soon began to reveal its own personality. The 1928 model already displays a distinctive character. This cushion-shape mono-pusher chronograph bears a pulsometric scale, “pear-shape” hands and Arabic numerals in black enamel. A little further along, various iconic chronograph wristwatches from the 1930s to the 1960s (models 4072, 4178 and 6087) feature consistently different faces. They vividly reveal the considerable expertise cultivated by Vacheron Constantin in the art of watch exteriors: silver-toned, black, champagne-toned or pink dials, two- toned cases, gold hour-markers, Arabic numerals, “cow-horn” lugs, dagger or baton-type hands... The display of indications evolves and visual perceptions are constantly renewed in an appealing stylistic exercise.

1905 - Minute-counter chronograph, chronometer

18K yellow gold, enamel dial with Arabic numbers, 30-minute counter at 12 o’clock, small seconds at 6, external minute track and tachymeter on 5 rings.
Chronograph push-piece in the crown.
Caliber RA 19’’ chrono.
N° 10258

Vacheron Constantin also presents chronographs displaying several graduation systems, serving to perform combined measurements and thereby meet the expectations of certain industrialists, engineers, doctors and even horsebreeders. Often equipped with a tachometric scale to measure the speed of a mobile element, they sometimes feature a telemetric scale – an instrument indispensable to artillerymen – or a sphygometer (blood pressure measuring instrument) which was useful for medical diagnoses. Other models complement the chronograph function with a split-seconds system serving to measure phenomena beginning at the same time but of varying duration by providing intermediate/split times. Vacheron Constantin was a longstanding major supplier in the field of sports timekeeping and made a name for itself in the official measurement of various disciplines such as motor-racing, ski competitions or horse races. Finally, the exhibition ends with a stunning array of horological complications, an incredibly elaborate domain in which Vacheron Constantin has resolutely proven its abilities. The chronograph is harmoniously associated with minute repeater, perpetual calendar, moon-phase or tourbillon mechanisms.

1889 - Split-seconds chronograph

Silver and red gold, enameled coat of arms on the case back.
Enamel dial with Roman numerals, small seconds at 6 o’clock and external minute track.
Chronograph push-piece in the crown and split push-piece on the case band.
Caliber RA 20’’ I split-seconds chrono.
N° 11092

This fascinating tour testifies to undeniable horological mastery, as well as to judicious aesthetic choices. Chronographs have always been part of the collections. However sophisticated, their constructions are above all dedicated to legibility and wearer comfort. At the heart of these apparently simple exteriors lie brilliant mechanical accomplishments featuring meticulous and refined finishes, as well as tried and trusted rating precision. Authentic measuring instruments dedicated to serving humankind and making this a truly must-see exhibition.

1900 - Minute-counter chronograph, minute repeater

18K yellow gold, enamel dial with Roman numerals.
30-minute counter at 12 o’clock, small seconds at 6 and external minute track.
Chronograph push-piece on the case bandOwned by Prince Louis Napoleon.
Caliber RA 18’’/19 chrono, minute-repeater.
N° 10803

Running until the end of March 2015
Maison Vacheron Constantin
7 Quai de l’Ile, 1204 Geneva
By appointment only, call: 022.930.20.05

1931 - Split-seconds minute-counter chronograph, perpetual calendar, power reserve, tourbillon, chronometer, photo reference 3450

18K yellow gold, enamel dial with Arabic numbers, 30-minute counter, power reserve indication and year at 12 o’clock, date at 3, small second, month, phases and age of the moon at 6, week day at 9, external minute track.
Chronograph push-piece in the crown and split push-piece on the case band.
Caliber RA 22’’/23 split-seconds chrono, perpetual calendar, tourbillon.
Private collection.
N° 10951