Vacheron Constantin

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Vacheron Constantin "Only Watch" 2009

From the Patrizzi website:

Quai de l’Ile, Vacheron Constantin’s address since the 19th century, symbolises the watchmaking savoir-faire and the quality service that have shaped the brand’s reputation. François Constantin, one of the brand’s founders, was a visionary, who looked from the outset to give the manufacture a home which would firmly establish it in Geneva’s haute horlogerie circles as well as beyond Switzerland’s borders. The building was constructed in 1874 by his nephew, Jean-François, in a busy and strategic position between the right and left banks of the Rhone River.

A privileged meeting place of the brand’s most celebrated customers, the Quai de l’Ile welcomed kings and queens, aristocrats and powerful leading families of the period, who came to order timepieces.

In 2008, in recognition of the importance of its birthplace, Vacheron Constantin launched their Quai de l’Ile Collection. “This collection,” says Christian Selmoni, Head of Marketing Product at Vacheron Constantin, “will be a pillar of the brand together with our more classical lines such as Patrimony and Malte.”

This is the first Vacheron Constantin collection to include a blend of sophisticated Haute Horlogerie and know-how high end technologies used by security printing specialists and can be totally personalized, offering the possibility for clients to choose between different materials, metals, finishes, and tone variations in the dial.

“We decided to create our Only Watch 09 based on this Quai de l’Ile Collection,” says Selmoni, “because it allows us to fit neatly into the research spirit needed when fighting against desease such as the Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

The case boasts an extremely high level of finishing, marrying satin-finished surfaces with polished angles. The case itself, middle, usually made from two or three main one or two pieces, is composed of seven separate components in a totally innovative and registered concept. The bezel, back and crown and the inner case containing the movement make up the rest of the case.

“This,” says Selmoni, “is the first time we have used tantalum at Vacheron Constantin and the first time we have personalized to such extreme detail the dial on the Quai de l’Ile.” Tantalum is a very rare and contemporary, noble metal and they chose to use it for the whole case – excepted flanks - not only because of the qualities of the metal but also because it has a very contemporary look – very dark, but unlike other metals used on watches, the dark color is not achieved by adding coatings or other treatments it is the metal’s natural color.

“Tantalum is a metal that is used by the airspace and airplane industry, as well as in surgery.” says Julien Marchenoir, Head of Marketing Communications at Vacheron Constantin. “It has gray-blue tone and is very difficult to work with being much harder that any metal we normally work with.” The tantalum case of this watch is diamond-cut, the same way as you would cut platinum, but since it is very hard it is costly to cut as it destroys the cutting tools so they have to be constantly remade.

The flanks of the watch are made of palladium, which is a metal within the platinum group. “We used tantalum and palladium for the case because it matches perfectly with the dial colors, offering a subtle variation of grayish tones,” says Selmoni. “This has resulted in a very modern and elegant look.”

One of the particular qualities of the Quai de l’Ile is the dial, which is made of different layers engraved and inked with security inks such as those used by security printings experts for the production of banknotes or passports. There are other high-tech elements used in a decorative way, such as a little sun, which is metalized into the dial – under UV rays this sun glows yellow. The sun is a copy of the one on the Tour de l’Ile tower clock in the center of Geneva where Vacheron Constantin had its manufacture before moving to the Quai de l’Ile building in 1874. Metalization is made of gold applied under vacuum technique.

Secret writing, micro-printing, and invisible ink are hallmarks of the Quai de l’Ile Collection, while some of the markings are always visible, others appear and disappear. In recognition of the work of the AMM, Vacheron Constantin has incorporated by high-precision laser engraving the following phrase into the dial of the Only Watch Quai de l’Ile: “Monaco, September 24th 2009. Hand in hand with the Association Monégasque contre les Myopathies, Vacheron Constantin supports scientific and medical research to provide children with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy a better quality of life”.

The Maltese cross symbol the numbers 12, 3, 6 and 9 are linked into the sapphire by using multiple layers technology, called galvanic growth– another really exclusive process – the other numerals are laser engraved then inked in white ink. Furthermore, the Only Watch Quai de l’Ile features a dark red minute track engraved and painted on a lower part of the whole dial. Finally, on the inside ring of the dial, there is an outer subdial which has a decorative 3D engraving representing the logo “Only Watch”. “Only” is engraved and “Watch” is in relief, so that when the light hits the sapphire crystal the name “Only Watch” appears in three dimensions.

The movement – caliber 2460H - is a 100% in-house Vacheron Constantin self-winding mechanical movement with circular finishing and bears the Geneva Hallmark. The piece has classic time indications of hours, minutes, seconds, and days of the month.

This movement, which is ruthenium-finished, features a 22K gold rotor with a ruthenium finish and five discreetly embossed fillets echoing the design on the back of the case.

The days of the month are indicated by a white palette on the outer ring beneath date indications on the sapphire dial. When the date changes the ring moves and highlights the date.

“The Quai de l’Ile is a combination of traditional watchmaking bearing the Official Hallmark of the State of Geneva together with a very contemporary aesthetic design and high-end sophisticated techniques,” concluded Marchenoir. “It combines the traditions, talents, and history of Vacheron Constantin as a watchmaker with state-of-the-art technology and design.”