{"lien_WSTV":"","tax_name":"deprecated","tax_rate":20,"id_manufacturer":"0","id_supplier":"0","id_category_default":"298","id_shop_default":"1","manufacturer_name":false,"supplier_name":false,"name":"Vladimir","description":"<strong>Atelier Cabinotiers<\/strong><br \/><br \/>Reviving the horological spirit of 18th century Geneva. <br \/>A workshop dedicated since 2006 to custom-built Fine Watchmaking. <br \/>Watchmaking expertise meets artistic crafts. <br \/>Two unique models unveiled for the very first time. <br \/>Philosophia: the paradoxical timekeeper. <br \/>Vladimir: the ultimate in complications. <br \/><br \/><strong>Created  in 2006, Vacheron Constantin\u2019s Atelier Cabinotiers revives the very  unique spirit of 18th century Geneva. At that time, prestigious clients  came to order directly from the cabinotiers, the watch industry  craftsmen who forged the city\u2019s reputation. Royalty such as King Fouad  of Egypt or his son King Farouk were also ferevent collectors of  one-of-a-kind models created by the Manufacture. Today, for the first  time, Vacheron Constantin is unveiling two timepieces ordered from  Atelier Cabinotiers, a new and unique service that custom-makes Fine  Watches. <\/strong><br \/><br \/>Secrecy and confidentiality surround most of  the watches made to order by Vacheron Constantin. Sometimes embodying  the wildest of dreams, always expressions of a burning desire, they are  heard of more often than seen. These exceptional collection pieces come  to life in Geneva at Atelier Cabinotiers. Unique in the watchmaking  industry, this custom-building department offers clients a very  exclusive service representing far more than just a finished product and  based on the attentive listening skills and expertise of this Fine  Watchmaking Manufacture founded in 1755. By providing this service, the  latter is reviving the spirit of the cabinotiers, the highly specialised  Geneva craftsmen who made the city famous beginning in the 11th century  \u2013 first in jewellery, and then in watchmaking. This year, for the first  time, Vacheron Constantin is unveiling two unique pieces stamped with  the Hallmark of Geneva and made by its Atelier Cabinotiers service. <br \/><strong><br \/>A Vacheron Constantin tradition <\/strong><br \/><br \/>Right  from its origins, Vacheron Constantin encouraged its watchmakers to  make custom-built watches, lavishing countless hours on determining the  exact appearance of a model and on choosing its functions and its  components. Everything was to be possible and the utmost efforts were  devoted to endowing a watch that would forever reflect its owner\u2019s  preferences. Vacheron Constantin watch collectors have always been well  aware of this possibility, and the famous New York banker and devoted  watch connoisseur Henry Graves Jr. was for example a keen devotee of the  one-of-a-kind models signed Vacheron Constantin. <br \/><br \/>King Fouad of  Egypt and his son King Farouk, to mention just two other eminent  examples, were also keen collectors of one-of-a-kind Vacheron Constantin  models. One particular story vividly illustrates these lasting ties: in  1937, when the adolescent Prince Farouk was visiting Geneva with his  mother, Queen Nazli, he was eager to visit the Manufacture Vacheron  Constantin. Charles Constantin guided him through the workshops and,  when he expressed his amazement at the young man\u2019s vast horological  knowledge, the prince admitted to having taken a number of watches apart  to see how they worked. On the occasion of an official visit to Geneva,  the municipal authorities presented him with a fabulous one of-a-kind  watch created by Vacheron Constantin. Its dial is enlivened by no less  than 13 hands: alongside the conventional hour, minute and seconds hands  are a chronograph sweep-seconds hand, a 30-minute counter hand, a  split-seconds hand, the four hands of the Perpetual Calendar with  leap-year indication, as well as the respective pointers for the alarm  and for the movement power- reserve indicator and the striking mechanism  power-reserve. It features a minute repeater and a moon- phase display,  and its movement comprises 820 parts including 55 jewels. <br \/><br \/>It  was this extremely distinctive spirit based on mutual exchanges and  creativity that Vacheron Constantin wished to revive. In response to  ever-growing number from avid collectors, the company opened its Atelier  Cabinotiers in 2006. <br \/><br \/>Here there are no collections, products or  catalogues, just a listening ear. Everything begins with a story: the  secret and intimate story of the person commissioning the watch. One, a  history buff, asks for a reproduction of a painting by one of the  masters in grand feu enamel on the dial; another, a poetic lover, wants a  grand strike that chimes only once a year, on his true love\u2019s birthday;  yet another, a grand complications enthusiast, dreams of a mechanical  masterpiece such as has never yet been tried. <br \/><br \/>All requests, from  the simplest to the most daring, are meticulously examined by an  ethical committee specially set up for the Atelier Cabinotiers; to  secure approval, they must naturally be deemed to be in harmony with the  Vacheron Constantin spirit. <br \/><br \/>Vacheron Constantin is the only  watch manufacturer to offer such a high level of service, uniting  excellence and dedication. Atelier Cabinotiers is, above all, a grouping  of top watchmaking professionals. Each new project that requires any  technical development is supported by a team that includes an engineer, a  mechanic and a watchmaker. Together, they strive to translate even the  wildest dreams into technical terms. Vacheron Constantin\u2019s designers and  R&amp;D department are called upon as needed. Then dedicated teams  responsible for project development and tracking take over. A preferred  contact person acts as a continual liaison between the teams and the  purchaser. <br \/><br \/>A dedicated website specially created as an  additional service gives customers the opportunity to enter the world of  the Atelier Cabinotiers via a password that gives them direct access to  their watch in the making. They can follow each stage of production,  including through photos and videos, thus enabling them to keep track of  the work in progress at any given moment. <br \/><br \/>But Atelier  Cabinotiers\u2019 greatest asset lies, perhaps, in the extraordinary artistic  skills found there. The Vacheron Constantin guillocheurs and enamellers  are among the last remaining masters of their forefathers\u2019 art; others \u2013  engravers and gemsetters \u2013 proudly carry on ancient traditions,  combining natural talent with expertise. From the hands of these artists  come unique timepieces representing the pinnacle of Fine Watchmaking,  which will find in due course find their place, like all the creations  of the Manufacture since 1755, in the company heritage and archives.<br \/><br \/><strong>Vladimir*: the ultimate in complications and artistic crafts<\/strong><br \/><br \/>The second special order was named Vladimir* by its owner. This Slavic first name is derived from the ancient term Volodimir, which literally means \u201cdomination by peace\u201d or \u201cpeace to all.\u201d This superlative watch is none other than one of the world\u2019s most complicated timepieces. That is what its owner wanted, and Vacheron Constantin\u2019s Atelier Cabinotiers gathered the resources to meet this very ambitious goal. As it began this extraordinary adventure and accepted this uncommon mechanical challenge, Vacheron Constantin knew it could count on its unusual expertise garnered over an uninterrupted span of more than 250 years in business. The Genevese Manufacture had demonstrated this during its quarter-millennial celebration in 2005 by designing and producing in its own workshops what was at the time the world\u2019s most complicated wristwatch, the famous Tour de l\u2019Ile. The Vladimir* model that has just left Ateliers Cabinotiers is even more complicated than that legendary model of 2005. The hand-wound mechanical movement of this unique Vladimir* watch drives no less than 17 complications. This exceptional movement, bearing the prestigious Hallmark of Geneva, has some 891 components, all hand-finished or hand-decorated at Vacheron Constantin. It is both a technical and aesthetic triumph that took Atelier Cabinotiers and its top-flight watchmakers four years to develop. <br \/><br \/>Just one look at the Vladimir*\u2019s main dial, which was hand-engraved on a rose engine at Atelier Cabinotiers, gives an indication of the complexity of this horological masterpiece and reveals an impressive array of complications, in addition to the usual display of hours and minutes. To begin with the supreme example, the very refined 60-second tourbillon mechanism stands out at 6 o\u2019clock, while next to it at 3 o\u2019clock appears the moon phase on a blue sky with a precision moon in gold, smiling or serious depending on the phase and hand-engraved by Atelier Cabinotiers craftsmen. To its right, a smaller counter with a small blued hand indicates the striking mechanism torque, i.e., whether the minute repeater mechanism is engaged. In addition to the hour and minute hands \u2013 one-of-a-kind pieces made especially for this watch \u2013that travel around the slightly off-centre minute markers, the front side of the main dial provides a second time zone with day\/night indicator at 11 o\u2019clock. The power reserve indicator is located in the 9 o\u2019clock sector, also enhanced by a 52-week indicator. At this point, we have already seen seven easily identifiable complications on a well-balanced dial \u2013 with all of the motifs and materials having been selected by the purchaser \u2013 that are perfectly legible and aesthetically flawless. As another sign of the personalisation evident throughout the entire creative process, the guilloch\u00e9 pattern on the dial was also chosen by the collector of this exceptional timepiece. <br \/><br \/>The back is no less admirable than the front, having a wealth of information that is pleasantly arranged, exciting, subtle and surprising. On the upper portion, the perpetual calendar dials are arranged in a triangle, displaying the days of the week, month and date from left to right. A small window at 1 o\u2019clock shows the leap-year cycle. In the centre of the dial, a blued hand sweeps over a small sector devoted to the equation of time, the variable difference observable between true (solar) time and the time marked by clocks, which for convenience is divided into equal intervals. Two other pieces of astronomical information are conveyed by hands traversing two sectors at 4 o\u2019clock and 8 o\u2019clock: the time of sunrise and sunset. The list of functions ends in a blaze of glory with a precision sky chart of the northern hemisphere, as one rarely sees it. <br \/><br \/>This exceptional mechanical watch bearing the Hallmark of Geneva has a setting to match. The Vladimir*\u2019s case is itself a work of art, epitomising the legendary expertise and nimble fingers of Atelier Cabinotiers\u2019 artistic craftsmen. On the sides of this unique and imposing piece, which is 47 mm in diameter, the signs of the Chinese zodiac appear in bas-relief. The motifs and the bas-relief technique (which is extremely rare in watchmaking) used here were both done by request of the owner. Before getting to the heart of the matter with regard to the subject and materials, the designers showed the purchaser many sketches. The decision was then made to depict the signs of the zodiac on both sides of the case, which itself is made of 18-carat pink gold. In the end, the twelve figures \u2013 from the dragon through the rabbit and the rooster to the snake \u2013 were made to stand out slightly from the main body of 18-carat pink gold. It was a colossal task for the engravers \u2013 the twelve figures alone took more than six months \u2013 and required that a very special case first had to be made with extra-thick sides, from which the superfluous material was removed, carving roughly at first and then in very fine detail. As with every other timepiece from Vacheron Constantin\u2019s workshop, the case was then polished very subtly, a task made all the more difficult by the fact that it absolutely must not destroy the engraver\u2019s incredible work on the bas-reliefs. In order to meet the challenge and create this extremely complex and unique timepiece, Atelier Cabinotiers called on more than 20 experts and craftsmen. It was a Herculean effort for a watch that deserves to join the legendary ranks of exceptional watchmaking. <br \/><br \/>* Vladimir is the name given by the owner<br \/><br \/><strong>The timeless spirit of the Cabinotiers <\/strong><br \/><br \/>Since  its founding, Vacheron Constantin has always encouraged its master  watchmakers to custom make watches, never begrudging the time needed to  determine the exact aesthetics of a piece and select its functions and  components. Atelier Cabinotiers is carrying on this tradition. Extreme  complexity or a poetic expression of time, guilloch\u00e9 or enamelled dial,  Roman or Arabic numerals, seconds in the centre or chronograph functions  \u2013 anything is possible when giving a watch the character that will  forever reflect the wishes of its owner. Then it is up to the owner to  choose whether to show off the watch or keep it a secret. An  indescribable pleasure in either case. <br \/><br \/><strong>The art of the Cabinotiers <\/strong><br \/><br \/>The  first craftsmen to spread Geneva\u2019s reputation far and wide, beginning  in the 11th century, were its goldsmiths. The fineness of their work was  highly sought after at that time by dignitaries of the European courts.  Attracted by this centre of excellence, engravers and enamellers did  not take long to form powerful guilds in their turn. In their wake,  watchmakers and diamond-cutters, as well as carvers and chain-makers,  came to occupy Saint-Gervais, the city\u2019s oldest neighbourhood, on the  right bank of the Rhone. From 1650 on, there were more watchmakers than  goldsmiths, and watchmaking became Geneva\u2019s main industry. <br \/><br \/>But  Saint-Gervais, which was hemmed in by the city walls, offered only  narrow, dark alleyways. In order to make the longest possible use of the  best midday light, the craftsmen preferred to locate their workshops on  the top floors of the buildings. These workshops, often cramped and  sometimes located in attics directly beneath the roof, illuminated by  numerous tiny windows, built a solid reputation for the quality of their  work. They soon came to be called cabinets [\u201cclosets\u201d], and their  occupants were known as cabinotiers. The well-trained cabinotiers did  not consider themselves to be ordinary members of the working class, but  constituted a sort of worker aristocracy, more like artists, both  educated and cultivated. So the art of the Saint-Gervais cabinotiers  left its mark on the city\u2019s daily, economic and social life for  centuries. <br \/><strong><br \/>Geneva\u2019s famous jet d\u2019eau, a by-product of La Fabrique <\/strong><br \/><br \/>From  its beginnings as master watchmakers creating their watches alone from  beginning to end, Geneva\u2019s watchmaking industry was to grow and change.  Gradually, it organised itself around the various cabinotier groups:  case-fitters, guillocheurs, carvers, encasers, gilders, enamellers, and  of course watchmakers. Training and access to the \u201cfreedoms\u201d were  heavily regulated, ensuring the high quality of watch and jewellery  production. Activity in Saint-Gervais was so intense that the  neighbourhood was renamed La Fabrique [\u201cThe Factory\u201d]. Merchants and  craftsmen could be found there, but also rich clients coming to order  directly from the attic workshops. Around 1800, it supported about 5000  cabinotiers, at a time when the entire city had 26,000 residents. <br \/><br \/>In  a surprising bit of history, Geneva\u2019s jet d\u2019eau fountain owes its  existence to the cabinotiers. To provide La Fabrique and the city\u2019s  craftsmen with power, in 1886 the authorities had a hydropower plant  built on the Rhone, near Saint-Gervais. The high-pressure system enabled  local industry to acquire small piston engines, which were less bulky  and power-hungry than steam engines. But every evening when the  craftsmen stopped working and turned off their motors, the hydraulic  plant operators had to race to shut down their pumps, to avoid  disastrous excess pressure. That was when someone had the idea of  installing a safety valve that would let the water under excess pressure  escape into the sky. The first jet d\u2019eau, 30 metres high, was born.","description_short":"","quantity":0,"minimal_quantity":"1","available_now":"","available_later":"","price":0,"specificPrice":false,"additional_shipping_cost":"0.00","wholesale_price":"0.000000","on_sale":"0","online_only":"0","unity":"","unit_price":0,"unit_price_ratio":"0.000000","ecotax":"0.000000","reference":"80253-000R-9593","supplier_reference":"","location":"","width":"0.000000","height":"0.000000","depth":"0.000000","weight":"0.000000","ean13":"","upc":"","link_rewrite":"vladimir","meta_description":"Atelier CabinotiersReviving the horological spirit of 18th century Geneva. A workshop dedicated since 2006 to custom-built Fine Watchmaking. Watchmaking expe...","meta_keywords":"","meta_title":"Watch Vacheron Constantin Vladimir | Cabinotiers 80253-000R-9593  Pink Gold - Alligator Bracelet","quantity_discount":"0","customizable":"0","new":false,"uploadable_files":"0","text_fields":"0","active":"1","redirect_type":"","id_product_redirected":"0","available_for_order":"0","available_date":"0000-00-00","condition":"new","show_price":"1","indexed":"1","visibility":"both","date_add":"2015-08-03 22:47:21","date_upd":"2015-09-30 12:26:03","tags":false,"base_price":"0.000000","id_tax_rules_group":"1","id_color_default":0,"advanced_stock_management":"0","out_of_stock":0,"depends_on_stock":false,"isFullyLoaded":true,"cache_is_pack":"0","cache_has_attachments":"1","is_virtual":"0","id_pack_product_attribute":null,"cache_default_attribute":"0","category":"cabinotiers","pack_stock_type":"3","id":2399,"id_shop_list":null,"force_id":false,"customization_required":false}

{"Compl\u00e9ment":"Pink Gold - Alligator Bracelet","Statut de vente":"N est plus commercialis\u00e9","Date":"2011","Pi\u00e8ce unique":"Oui","S\u00e9rie limit\u00e9e":"No","Sexe":"Homme","Gaucher":"No","Diam\u00e8tre":"47","Types":"Hand-winding","Styles":"Atypical, High Horology","Calibre_autre":"Vacheron Constantin 2750","Calibre distinction":"Hallmark of Geneva","Affichage":"Hands","Complication":"Second Time Zone (GMT), Age of the Moon, Minute Repeater, Tourbillon, Small Seconds, Equation of Time, Perpetual Calendar , Striking Mechanism, Moon Phases, Sunrise and Sunset Times, Sky Map","Mati\u00e8re du bo\u00eetier":"Pink gold","Particularit\u00e9 du boitier":"Engraved caseback","Etanch\u00e9it\u00e9":"No","Forme":"Round","Cadran":"White Gold, Hand engraved","Index":"Arabic numerals","Index_autre":"Pink gold","Verre":"Antireflective coating, Domed, Sapphire","Mati\u00e8re du bracelet":"Alligator leather","Fermeture du bracelet":"Pin buckle","Couleur du bracelet":"Dark Brown","Plus de caract\u00e9ristiques":"Movement<br \/>Diameter: 36mm<br \/>Thickness: 11.25mm<br \/>38 jewels<br \/>18.000 vibrations per hour<br \/>Power-reserve: 58 hours<br \/><br \/>Case<br \/>18K 5N pink gold<br \/>Mnual engraving of the 12 Chinese zodiac signs on the side of the case<br \/><br \/>Dial<br \/>18K 5N white gold<br \/>Minute-track painted in white<br \/>8 applied hour markers in 18K pink gold<br \/><br \/>Strap<br \/>Square scales<br \/>Hand-stitched<br \/>Saddle finish<br \/>Buckle in 18K 5N pink gold<br \/>Polished half Maltese Cross"}

Vladimir

Reference: 80253-000R-9593

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Brand  :	Vacheron Constantin
Collection  :	Cabinotiers
Model  :	Vladimir
Reference  :	80253-000R-9593
Nber of pieces :	Unique
Complement :	Pink Gold - Alligator Bracelet
Year :	2011
Is not commercialised any more

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• Brand  :	Vacheron Constantin
  Collection  :	Cabinotiers
  Model  :	Vladimir
  Reference  :	80253-000R-9593
  Nber of pieces :	Unique
  Complement :	Pink Gold - Alligator Bracelet
  Year :	2011
  Is not commercialised any more
  List Price :	On request
  Diameter :	47 mm
  Styles :	Atypical High Horology
  Types :	Hand-winding
  Calibre :	Vacheron Constantin 2750
  Calibre distinction :	Hallmark of Geneva
  Complication :	Second Time Zone (GMT) Age of the Moon Minute Repeater Tourbillon Small Seconds Equation of Time Perpetual Calendar Striking Mechanism Moon Phases Sunrise and Sunset Times Sky Map
  Case material :	Pink gold
  Case peculiarity :	Engraved caseback
  Shape :	Round
  Water-resistance :	No
  Dial :	White Gold Hand engraved
  Display :	Hands
  Indexes :	Arabic numerals Pink gold
  Glass :	Antireflective coating Domed Sapphire
  Strap material :	Alligator leather
  Strap color :	Dark Brown
  Strap clasp :	Pin buckle
  + More characteristics :	Movement Diameter: 36mm Thickness: 11.25mm 38 jewels 18.000 vibrations per hour Power-reserve: 58 hours Case 18K 5N pink gold Mnual engraving of the 12 Chinese zodiac signs on the side of the case Dial 18K 5N white gold Minute-track painted in white 8 applied hour markers in 18K pink gold Strap Square scales Hand-stitched Saddle finish Buckle in 18K 5N pink gold Polished half Maltese Cross

DESCRIPTION

• Atelier Cabinotiers
  
  Reviving the horological spirit of 18th century Geneva.
  A workshop dedicated since 2006 to custom-built Fine Watchmaking.
  Watchmaking expertise meets artistic crafts.
  Two unique models unveiled for the very first time.
  Philosophia: the paradoxical timekeeper.
  Vladimir: the ultimate in complications.
  
  Created in 2006, Vacheron Constantin’s Atelier Cabinotiers revives the very unique spirit of 18th century Geneva. At that time, prestigious clients came to order directly from the cabinotiers, the watch industry craftsmen who forged the city’s reputation. Royalty such as King Fouad of Egypt or his son King Farouk were also ferevent collectors of one-of-a-kind models created by the Manufacture. Today, for the first time, Vacheron Constantin is unveiling two timepieces ordered from Atelier Cabinotiers, a new and unique service that custom-makes Fine Watches.
  
  Secrecy and confidentiality surround most of the watches made to order by Vacheron Constantin. Sometimes embodying the wildest of dreams, always expressions of a burning desire, they are heard of more often than seen. These exceptional collection pieces come to life in Geneva at Atelier Cabinotiers. Unique in the watchmaking industry, this custom-building department offers clients a very exclusive service representing far more than just a finished product and based on the attentive listening skills and expertise of this Fine Watchmaking Manufacture founded in 1755. By providing this service, the latter is reviving the spirit of the cabinotiers, the highly specialised Geneva craftsmen who made the city famous beginning in the 11th century – first in jewellery, and then in watchmaking. This year, for the first time, Vacheron Constantin is unveiling two unique pieces stamped with the Hallmark of Geneva and made by its Atelier Cabinotiers service.
  
  A Vacheron Constantin tradition
  
  Right from its origins, Vacheron Constantin encouraged its watchmakers to make custom-built watches, lavishing countless hours on determining the exact appearance of a model and on choosing its functions and its components. Everything was to be possible and the utmost efforts were devoted to endowing a watch that would forever reflect its owner’s preferences. Vacheron Constantin watch collectors have always been well aware of this possibility, and the famous New York banker and devoted watch connoisseur Henry Graves Jr. was for example a keen devotee of the one-of-a-kind models signed Vacheron Constantin.
  
  King Fouad of Egypt and his son King Farouk, to mention just two other eminent examples, were also keen collectors of one-of-a-kind Vacheron Constantin models. One particular story vividly illustrates these lasting ties: in 1937, when the adolescent Prince Farouk was visiting Geneva with his mother, Queen Nazli, he was eager to visit the Manufacture Vacheron Constantin. Charles Constantin guided him through the workshops and, when he expressed his amazement at the young man’s vast horological knowledge, the prince admitted to having taken a number of watches apart to see how they worked. On the occasion of an official visit to Geneva, the municipal authorities presented him with a fabulous one of-a-kind watch created by Vacheron Constantin. Its dial is enlivened by no less than 13 hands: alongside the conventional hour, minute and seconds hands are a chronograph sweep-seconds hand, a 30-minute counter hand, a split-seconds hand, the four hands of the Perpetual Calendar with leap-year indication, as well as the respective pointers for the alarm and for the movement power- reserve indicator and the striking mechanism power-reserve. It features a minute repeater and a moon- phase display, and its movement comprises 820 parts including 55 jewels.
  
  It was this extremely distinctive spirit based on mutual exchanges and creativity that Vacheron Constantin wished to revive. In response to ever-growing number from avid collectors, the company opened its Atelier Cabinotiers in 2006.
  
  Here there are no collections, products or catalogues, just a listening ear. Everything begins with a story: the secret and intimate story of the person commissioning the watch. One, a history buff, asks for a reproduction of a painting by one of the masters in grand feu enamel on the dial; another, a poetic lover, wants a grand strike that chimes only once a year, on his true love’s birthday; yet another, a grand complications enthusiast, dreams of a mechanical masterpiece such as has never yet been tried.
  
  All requests, from the simplest to the most daring, are meticulously examined by an ethical committee specially set up for the Atelier Cabinotiers; to secure approval, they must naturally be deemed to be in harmony with the Vacheron Constantin spirit.
  
  Vacheron Constantin is the only watch manufacturer to offer such a high level of service, uniting excellence and dedication. Atelier Cabinotiers is, above all, a grouping of top watchmaking professionals. Each new project that requires any technical development is supported by a team that includes an engineer, a mechanic and a watchmaker. Together, they strive to translate even the wildest dreams into technical terms. Vacheron Constantin’s designers and R&D department are called upon as needed. Then dedicated teams responsible for project development and tracking take over. A preferred contact person acts as a continual liaison between the teams and the purchaser.
  
  A dedicated website specially created as an additional service gives customers the opportunity to enter the world of the Atelier Cabinotiers via a password that gives them direct access to their watch in the making. They can follow each stage of production, including through photos and videos, thus enabling them to keep track of the work in progress at any given moment.
  
  But Atelier Cabinotiers’ greatest asset lies, perhaps, in the extraordinary artistic skills found there. The Vacheron Constantin guillocheurs and enamellers are among the last remaining masters of their forefathers’ art; others – engravers and gemsetters – proudly carry on ancient traditions, combining natural talent with expertise. From the hands of these artists come unique timepieces representing the pinnacle of Fine Watchmaking, which will find in due course find their place, like all the creations of the Manufacture since 1755, in the company heritage and archives.
  
  Vladimir*: the ultimate in complications and artistic crafts
  
  The second special order was named Vladimir* by its owner. This Slavic first name is derived from the ancient term Volodimir, which literally means “domination by peace” or “peace to all.” This superlative watch is none other than one of the world’s most complicated timepieces. That is what its owner wanted, and Vacheron Constantin’s Atelier Cabinotiers gathered the resources to meet this very ambitious goal. As it began this extraordinary adventure and accepted this uncommon mechanical challenge, Vacheron Constantin knew it could count on its unusual expertise garnered over an uninterrupted span of more than 250 years in business. The Genevese Manufacture had demonstrated this during its quarter-millennial celebration in 2005 by designing and producing in its own workshops what was at the time the world’s most complicated wristwatch, the famous Tour de l’Ile. The Vladimir* model that has just left Ateliers Cabinotiers is even more complicated than that legendary model of 2005. The hand-wound mechanical movement of this unique Vladimir* watch drives no less than 17 complications. This exceptional movement, bearing the prestigious Hallmark of Geneva, has some 891 components, all hand-finished or hand-decorated at Vacheron Constantin. It is both a technical and aesthetic triumph that took Atelier Cabinotiers and its top-flight watchmakers four years to develop.
  
  Just one look at the Vladimir*’s main dial, which was hand-engraved on a rose engine at Atelier Cabinotiers, gives an indication of the complexity of this horological masterpiece and reveals an impressive array of complications, in addition to the usual display of hours and minutes. To begin with the supreme example, the very refined 60-second tourbillon mechanism stands out at 6 o’clock, while next to it at 3 o’clock appears the moon phase on a blue sky with a precision moon in gold, smiling or serious depending on the phase and hand-engraved by Atelier Cabinotiers craftsmen. To its right, a smaller counter with a small blued hand indicates the striking mechanism torque, i.e., whether the minute repeater mechanism is engaged. In addition to the hour and minute hands – one-of-a-kind pieces made especially for this watch –that travel around the slightly off-centre minute markers, the front side of the main dial provides a second time zone with day/night indicator at 11 o’clock. The power reserve indicator is located in the 9 o’clock sector, also enhanced by a 52-week indicator. At this point, we have already seen seven easily identifiable complications on a well-balanced dial – with all of the motifs and materials having been selected by the purchaser – that are perfectly legible and aesthetically flawless. As another sign of the personalisation evident throughout the entire creative process, the guilloché pattern on the dial was also chosen by the collector of this exceptional timepiece.
  
  The back is no less admirable than the front, having a wealth of information that is pleasantly arranged, exciting, subtle and surprising. On the upper portion, the perpetual calendar dials are arranged in a triangle, displaying the days of the week, month and date from left to right. A small window at 1 o’clock shows the leap-year cycle. In the centre of the dial, a blued hand sweeps over a small sector devoted to the equation of time, the variable difference observable between true (solar) time and the time marked by clocks, which for convenience is divided into equal intervals. Two other pieces of astronomical information are conveyed by hands traversing two sectors at 4 o’clock and 8 o’clock: the time of sunrise and sunset. The list of functions ends in a blaze of glory with a precision sky chart of the northern hemisphere, as one rarely sees it.
  
  This exceptional mechanical watch bearing the Hallmark of Geneva has a setting to match. The Vladimir*’s case is itself a work of art, epitomising the legendary expertise and nimble fingers of Atelier Cabinotiers’ artistic craftsmen. On the sides of this unique and imposing piece, which is 47 mm in diameter, the signs of the Chinese zodiac appear in bas-relief. The motifs and the bas-relief technique (which is extremely rare in watchmaking) used here were both done by request of the owner. Before getting to the heart of the matter with regard to the subject and materials, the designers showed the purchaser many sketches. The decision was then made to depict the signs of the zodiac on both sides of the case, which itself is made of 18-carat pink gold. In the end, the twelve figures – from the dragon through the rabbit and the rooster to the snake – were made to stand out slightly from the main body of 18-carat pink gold. It was a colossal task for the engravers – the twelve figures alone took more than six months – and required that a very special case first had to be made with extra-thick sides, from which the superfluous material was removed, carving roughly at first and then in very fine detail. As with every other timepiece from Vacheron Constantin’s workshop, the case was then polished very subtly, a task made all the more difficult by the fact that it absolutely must not destroy the engraver’s incredible work on the bas-reliefs. In order to meet the challenge and create this extremely complex and unique timepiece, Atelier Cabinotiers called on more than 20 experts and craftsmen. It was a Herculean effort for a watch that deserves to join the legendary ranks of exceptional watchmaking.
  
  * Vladimir is the name given by the owner
  
  The timeless spirit of the Cabinotiers
  
  Since its founding, Vacheron Constantin has always encouraged its master watchmakers to custom make watches, never begrudging the time needed to determine the exact aesthetics of a piece and select its functions and components. Atelier Cabinotiers is carrying on this tradition. Extreme complexity or a poetic expression of time, guilloché or enamelled dial, Roman or Arabic numerals, seconds in the centre or chronograph functions – anything is possible when giving a watch the character that will forever reflect the wishes of its owner. Then it is up to the owner to choose whether to show off the watch or keep it a secret. An indescribable pleasure in either case.
  
  The art of the Cabinotiers
  
  The first craftsmen to spread Geneva’s reputation far and wide, beginning in the 11th century, were its goldsmiths. The fineness of their work was highly sought after at that time by dignitaries of the European courts. Attracted by this centre of excellence, engravers and enamellers did not take long to form powerful guilds in their turn. In their wake, watchmakers and diamond-cutters, as well as carvers and chain-makers, came to occupy Saint-Gervais, the city’s oldest neighbourhood, on the right bank of the Rhone. From 1650 on, there were more watchmakers than goldsmiths, and watchmaking became Geneva’s main industry.
  
  But Saint-Gervais, which was hemmed in by the city walls, offered only narrow, dark alleyways. In order to make the longest possible use of the best midday light, the craftsmen preferred to locate their workshops on the top floors of the buildings. These workshops, often cramped and sometimes located in attics directly beneath the roof, illuminated by numerous tiny windows, built a solid reputation for the quality of their work. They soon came to be called cabinets [“closets”], and their occupants were known as cabinotiers. The well-trained cabinotiers did not consider themselves to be ordinary members of the working class, but constituted a sort of worker aristocracy, more like artists, both educated and cultivated. So the art of the Saint-Gervais cabinotiers left its mark on the city’s daily, economic and social life for centuries.
  
  Geneva’s famous jet d’eau, a by-product of La Fabrique
  
  From its beginnings as master watchmakers creating their watches alone from beginning to end, Geneva’s watchmaking industry was to grow and change. Gradually, it organised itself around the various cabinotier groups: case-fitters, guillocheurs, carvers, encasers, gilders, enamellers, and of course watchmakers. Training and access to the “freedoms” were heavily regulated, ensuring the high quality of watch and jewellery production. Activity in Saint-Gervais was so intense that the neighbourhood was renamed La Fabrique [“The Factory”]. Merchants and craftsmen could be found there, but also rich clients coming to order directly from the attic workshops. Around 1800, it supported about 5000 cabinotiers, at a time when the entire city had 26,000 residents.
  
  In a surprising bit of history, Geneva’s jet d’eau fountain owes its existence to the cabinotiers. To provide La Fabrique and the city’s craftsmen with power, in 1886 the authorities had a hydropower plant built on the Rhone, near Saint-Gervais. The high-pressure system enabled local industry to acquire small piston engines, which were less bulky and power-hungry than steam engines. But every evening when the craftsmen stopped working and turned off their motors, the hydraulic plant operators had to race to shut down their pumps, to avoid disastrous excess pressure. That was when someone had the idea of installing a safety valve that would let the water under excess pressure escape into the sky. The first jet d’eau, 30 metres high, was born.