Vacheron Constantin

It was in 1927 that Francis Peter, the president of the Cairo Joint Tribunal and a Swiss citizen visited Vacheron Constantin’s ateliers on the Quai de l’Ile in Geneva. He had been appointed by the Swiss community of Egypt to find a gift to be presented to King Fouad 1st of Egypt ,-a known collector of watches - a passion he shared with his wife and would pass on to his son King Farouk.

Vacheron Constantin had already started working on an exceptional piece with an array of complications and 8 hands, which once completed would be the most complicated watch ever created by the brand. Mr. Peter chose this movement which was to be cased in a yellow gold case and have its back decorated with the royal coat of arms and bordered with diamonds.

In October 1929 the watch was presented to Francis Peter who requested that the days and month indicators be changed from English to French as this was the language the French speaking and Francophile king would undoubtedly prefer. A month later in November 1929 the watch was presented to King Fouad in a sandalwood box decorated with the royal crown and the king’s monogram in Arabic. Inside the box was the date: 1929 inlaid in gold and flanked by the Swiss escutchon and the royal coat of arms painted on enamel. The inside of the cuvette had the following words engraved on it: A Sa Majesté Fouad 1er Hommage de la Colonie Suisse d’Egypte which translates as To His Majesty Fouad 1st Tribute from the Swiss Colony of Egypt (colony as in community).

It sold to a private collector for an astronomical CHF 3,306,250 in April 2005 at the Vacheron Constantin Quarter Millennium Antiquorum auction.