Manufacture decided to take a view of all the 260 years of his tireless creativity and celebrate this date truly brilliant innovation, paying tribute to the artistic crafts, without which it would be impossible for such a long successful life.
A unique collection of 12 crystal table clocks, whose shape resembles a glowing arch – yet another example of a harmonious combination of technology Haute Horlogerie and of arts and crafts, fidelity which Vacheron Constantin holds for many generations.
Almost two and a half centuries, Vacheron Constantin designs and creates true masterpieces of watchmaking.
Each of these creations must be recorded in the archives on a long history of the House.
2015 will be special: Manufacture celebrates 260 years of its existence.
In honor of this significant date Vacheron Constantin presents new creations in the collection Métiers d’Art.
12 desktop clock crystal again prove the original approach and the art of the masters of the company.
Each watch is equipped with a new mechanism of Vacheron Constantin with escapement with constant tension and a 30-day power reserve.
model series is planned to present to the public in stages throughout the year, and the exclusive presentation of the first hours of rock crystal will be held at the International Exhibition of Haute Horlogerie, the SIHH 2015.
For several decades, wristwatches became more accessible, which eventually led to a gradual reduction in the production of desktop models.
However, the latter were able to take their own special place: opening an exceptional scope for the application of a variety of artistic techniques, they have become a kind of mechanical art.
Due to the large size of the desktop clock proved to be the ideal tool for the Manufacture, in order to fully express the close relationship with the graphic and applied crafts.
Inspired in 1933, the model, Vacheron Constantin explores the different types of crystal: clear crystal, which, thanks to its purity perfectly lends itself to artistic treatment; and rock crystal, whose value is due to rarity and rich mineral composition of natural stone.
Both types of crystal are a wonderful material to demonstrate Vacheron Constantin skills in various art techniques.
The watch design – this is the result of fruitful cooperation of experienced watchmakers and craftsmen, glass blowers, precious stones hunters and cutters master guilloche, engravers and enamel.
These and other masters of different professions Manufacture selflessly devoted to their work and are constantly striving to conquer new creative heights.
In all 12 time desktop clock counts the same clock mechanism, but in spite of this, each of the arches of crystal has its own unique character.
Eight pairs of hours of clear crystal set in the style of an architectural direction: oriental style, Art Nouveau, Art Deco, pop art, postmodernism, deconstruction, green architecture and utopianism.
Original designs adorn the five sides of the arched structure, as well as a crystal stand clockwork.
The remaining four models show the natural beauty of rock crystal: they simulated mineral stone structure, which is formed in the bowels of the earth for centuries.
To create the models were selected only the stones of exceptional quality, standards-compliant Manufacture of optical properties, color, luster, refractive index, as well as the beauty and harmony of the inclusions.
Their mineral composition varies, so the stone can be transparent, white or amber hue, as it may come across amazing inclusions of black tourmaline, known as’ arrows of Cupid, or the fascinating beauty of Venus Hair – blotches of titanium.
By creating this series of beautifully decorated clock made of crystal, the master paid tribute to the artistic crafts and purity of natural stone.
Using a metal rod master glazier dials the liquid crystal from a crucible placed in a red-hot to 1500 ° C furnace, to form a unit weight of 60 kilograms.
This technology has been preserved to the present day in its original form.
Then, the unit is left to cool down for about three days, after which the cause is taken master cutter that cuts the block into several parts.
Of the five blocks faceted polished engraved crystal composed arch, and even from one crystal blank is formed by a support for the mechanism.
In the second embodiment, the master patiently cuts and granite material to show the geological structure of the mineral.
Hunters rare gems more than a year traveling the world in search of a large sample of rock crystal, which could serve as a basis for the creation of such a composition.
Here skill cutter is to enhance the beauty of this miracle of nature, sometimes referred to as frozen light, which was formed over several millennia.
Magnificent views of the finished product due to the many years of experience master cutter and his strikingly empathetic understanding of the material, which helps to reveal the inner beauty of the stone and enhance its natural shine.
In these 12 unique creations clearly reflected the desire to keep the Vacheron Constantin vintage crafts.
New great clock once again prove the highest professionalism and virtuosity of masters glass case and the guilloche, cutters, engravers and enamel.
They all have their own unique contribution to preserve a living, ever-changing artistic heritage, those rich traditions upon which the future of the Manufacture.
In addition to handling crystal, special attention deserve two art techniques used in the decoration ring with figures and table clocks legs: Grand Feu enamel technique and guilloche.
12 matt silver Roman numerals were made by hand, and then coated with black enamel Grand Feu.
This complex process requires increased caution, because enamel melting point of 860 ° C, a melting point of silver – 900 ° C.
On faceted silver legs of clocks manually applied 12 unique guilloche patterns, which shimmer transparent colors enamel Grand Feu.
Since all feet are part of the whole construction of the clock, the master guilloche pattern had to decorate all five faces, which greatly complicate the creation of the drawing.
But such an unusual challenges helping Vacheron Constantin craftsmen to reveal new facets of talent.
There is no doubt that such a beautiful precious casket deserves to be placed in it no less than perfect clockwork.
Through the transparent body, you can see the exciting new caliber with manual winding (which is performed with a key) manufacture Vacheron Constantin – skeletonized caliber 9260.
Its delicate design shows the inner beauty of the mechanism established on the basis of the seven bridges with chamfered carefully removed manually.
Caliber 9260 with a stroke regulator with constant tension and a 30-day power reserve has excellent functionality according to all the centuries of the great traditions of watchmaking Vacheron Constantin.
The working body of the caliber of 9260 consists of two drums, each of which is equipped with a spring length of more than one meter: thanks to a guaranteed power reserve of nearly a month.
This figure is optimized thanks to the careful finishing of parts, thus reducing their friction and wear.
power reserve indicator at 6:00 on the sapphire glass makes it easy to control the amount of energy hours.
Any mechanical device for measuring time, equipped with work body (drum) which provides energy regulator (consisting of the escapement and the oscillator, the spring balance) separating the time at regular intervals to guarantee the accuracy of stroke.
The accuracy of the movement depends on the stability of its stroke, achieved by the constancy of the regulatory body vibrations.
This, in turn, depends on how evenly the power is supplied from the escapement to the spring balance, so he always makes the same oscillations of the same amplitude.
The amount of energy transferred to the working body, varies depending on the plant; often when the watch is completely wound up, there is a surplus of energy, and when the plant ends – its drawback.
This leads to instability of the oscillation frequency and hence to a breach stroke speed clock.
Therefore, only a device that provides uniform supply of energy, can serve as a reliable guarantee stable oscillation frequency.
To solve the problem of significant vibration energy transmitted from the drum, and to ensure a stable and constant amplitude oscillator offers a variety of support mechanisms with a constant spring tension.
The basis of all these devices is the principle of absorption and neutralization of excess forces and vibrations acting on the pinion escapement wheel, whereby the latter can transmit oscillator pulses equal and constant.
In other words, the auxiliary device with constant tension spring acts as a kind of filters designed to neutralize the effects of vibration energy supplied to the working body on the slack adjuster.
There are various types of auxiliary machinery with a permanent spring tension.
In some of them, energy is transferred from the gear system on the drums (fuzeyno-chain transmission), while in others – right on the escapement (escapement with constant tension).
Watch collection Métiers d’Art Arca Vacheron Constantin chose the option of the mechanism, which is located exactly between the working body and the escapement.
Such a mechanism is used in the historical model in 1933, which served as the basis for a new collection of clocks.
To achieve uniform supply of energy transferred to the working body (double drum) regulator stroke, there is a special accessory in these desktop clock.
The design consists of a movable shut-off trigger system connected to a spring, the tension of which is adjusted with the expectation of a certain constant amount of energy.
In other words, when the amount of energy transferred to the drum starts to oscillate, the movable shut-off system of auxiliary mechanical shutter actuator operates by pinching and pulling on the spring.
When the system acts termination spring is released, and stroke controller receives a predetermined amount of energy.
This ensures constancy of the amount of energy supplied to the stroke controller which, in turn, maintains the stability of the amplitude of the oscillator and the accuracy of the movement stroke.
The use of such a device is particularly efficient for watch movement with a significant power reserve, for example caliber 9260.
power reserve level largely depends on the length of the springs drums.
The longer the spring, the greater the number of vibrations, and thus a higher risk of inaccurate measurement time.
A device with a constant tension spring used in the Caliber 9260, an extraordinary guarantee the accuracy of the desktop clock: deviation from the norm is less than one minute per week.
This is an excellent indicator for the caliber with a low oscillation frequency (2.
5 Hz), requiring re plant only once a month.
Technical characteristics of the Métiers d’Art Arca vendor code 99900/001-B034 – Rhinestone Presented only in boutiques Vacheron Constantin caliber 9260 Vacheron Constantin Caliber Mechanical, manual winding (winding start up with the help key) 106 mm x 131.
1 mm x 58.
7 mm (L x B x iii) escapement with constant spring tension Cruising approximately 720 hours (30 days) 2.
5 Hz (18,000 vibrations / hour) 106 parts 41 stone Indication Clock minutes Power reserve housing The outer arch of Baccarat crystal, etched and gold-plated 24-carat gold; matted and engraved block of crystal Baccarat under caliber Silver frame Two silver coasters decorated with hand-engraved on a rose and transparent enamel Grand Feu 202 mm x 219 mm x 105 mm (L x B x iii) Clock face Enamel Grand Feu, Roman numerals on a silver basis Lacquered metal arrows Gift box Special gift box for desktop clock additional accessories It comes complete with a magnifying glass, and two gloves winder limited edition Model from the collection of 12 unique creations, made in a single copy.
On the bottom of the base of each of clocks engraved Pièce unique ( «only copy) https://luxwatch.ua/other_pictures/News/Vacheron%20Constantin/19.01.15/Arca/99900-001-b034-sdt-877685.jpg
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