The bond between Vacheron Constantin and China

　　Vacheron ConstantinWith a history spanning 260 years, it is a pioneer and trailblazer in the watchmaking world, andVacheron Constantinshares an indelible bond with China.

　　Chinese elements sweep through

　　European haute horlogerie in the 20s

　　In the nineteen-twenties, with the popularity of the Art Deco style, 20 20Vacheron Constantinalso drew much inspiration from traditional Chinese culture, launching a series of brilliant works related to China.

　　“‘Hivan-Tsang’ is a wise man from China. Legend has it that whenever he went out, he was always accompanied by two monkeys, one on his shoulder and the other clutching his feet,” the aforementioned staff member stated,Vacheron ConstantinA table clock was designed based on this theme, with a hammer price of 160,250 Swiss francs, and was released in 1925. The clock case is crafted from black onyx, while the Hivan-Tsang figure is made of red coral. The clock case and base are also inlaid with red coral of various sizes, accented with sparkling diamonds. The time display is concealed by a hinged door; when opened, it reveals a mother-of-pearl dial, with the hands and indices decorated using champlevé enamel craftsmanship.

　　SeeingVacheron ConstantinWhen looking at a table clock time dial released in 1926, one might first be reminded of the story of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. This is a timepiece featuring distinct Chinese cultural characteristics. On a jade base sits a red oval container; opening the arched door of this container reveals three ancient warriors engaged in battle, each wielding different weapons. These figures and the background are all created using cloisonné enamel, while the indices are represented by traditional Chinese timekeeping units—‘Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao...’. Ancient Chinese culture became an important element for Vacheron Constantin's artistic clocks during this period.

　　The snuff bottle-shaped table clock manufactured in 1929 is a prime example, with a hammer price of 41,400 Swiss francs. During the Qing Dynasty, snuff bottles evolved into decorative art objects, with varieties made from different materials and adorned with various techniques. Vacheron Constantin unprecedentedly chose the snuff bottle as the exterior form for a clock. On one hand, it uses materials like onyx and lapis lazuli combined with carving techniques for decoration (the snuff bottle body features a pattern of a Chinese woman holding a lotus), and on the other, it uses rotating hour numerals to display the time.

　　Ultra-limited edition watch for the return of Hong Kong and Macau

　　In 1997 a Mercator watch featuring a map of China was released, specially manufactured to commemorate the return of Hong Kong to China on the first of July, nineteen ninety-seven 1997 7 1. The dial uses cloisonné enamel craftsmanship to display various provincial regions, and an ancient sailing ship cruises in the waters of Hong Kong, reminiscent of the appearance of Hong Kong as a port in the nineteenth century 19. Another watch commemorating the return of Hong Kong to China (limited to ninety-seven 97 pieces in eighteen-karat 18K pink gold) features hour markers on the dial indicated as "one, two, three, four...", along with a horizontal line of Chinese characters reading "July first, nineteen ninety-seven".

　　In 1999, when Macau returned to China, Vacheron Constantin also specially produced a commemorative watch, the most striking feature of which remains its dial—an enamel dial depicting the geography of Macau.

　　On 2004 9 19, Vacheron Constantin participated in the 'Wonders of Watches' exhibition hosted by the Richemont Group at the Imperial Ancestral Temple in Beijing's Forbidden City. As this was once a sacred hall for the Qing Dynasty to worship their ancestors, Aisin-Gioro Puren, the younger brother of China's last emperor, Puyi, was specially invited to write the four characters for 'Wonders of Watches'. Former Vacheron Constantin CEO Mr. Claude-Daniel Proellochs presented a 'Patrimony' ultra-thin mechanical watch bearing the Hallmark of Geneva to Puren.