Vacheron Constantin

Vacheron Constantin watches tops the list in luxury watches. What is amazing with this watch company is the fact than in its more than 250 year of existence, the company’s history thrived on uninterrupted surviving Revolutions, World Wars, economic crises, and change of owners and administrators.

Vacheron Constantin is the oldest watch watchmaker in the world. It was founded in 1755 by a young and talented cabinotier, Jean-Marc Vacheron.  Besides having a good head for business, Vacheron was also a fine watch craftsman. His dedication to the art and precision of watchmaking may well be the precedent of other Swiss watch companies that were founded more than a century later.

Vacheron’s first complication was made in 1770 in his shop in Saint Gervais, Geneva. It was here where Vacheron forged the brand that became one of the greatest names in the watch industry. The brand was worn by Napoleon Bonaparte and there is speculation that Bonaparte could have been wearing a Vacheron during the Battle of Waterloo which really fires up the imagination.

The company was turned over to Vacheron’s son and later to his grandson. In 1819 the heirs of Vacheron hired an outsider, Francois Constantin. He single-handedly marketed Vacheron et Constantin watches all over Europe and North America.  When Georges-Auguste Leschot joined the company in 1839, he fantastically standardized the movements into calibers.  Vacheron et Constantin became industry pioneers and led the watch industry as awards and recognitions were afforded to the company.

Upon the death of Vacheron’s direct heirs and that of Constatin, the company fell into the hands of various heirs. However, the company never missed a beat as it continued to innovate in watch technology.  In 1877 the official name of the watch company was Vacheron & Constantin, Fabricants, Geneve and its logo was and still is the Maltese cross.

For its bicentennial celebration, the company produced the thinnest movement at 1. 62 mm.  To mark the beginning of its third century of watchmaking, Vacheron Constantin (since 1970) produced the thinnest watch at 5.25 mm called the Patrimony. This was when the company was under the administration of George Ketter.  Jacques Ketter took over the company and it was during his time the most expensive watch of that era was made. The Kallista was valued at £3.3 million. It was made directly into a gold ingot and then peppered with 130 carat emerald cut diamonds.  Today, this watch is valued at £7 million.

In 2005, as tribute to the company’s 250^th anniversary, the “Tour de I’lle” was launched. It was one of the world’s most complicated watches with its 16 horological complications and 834 parts; priced at $1 million.

Currently Vacheron Constantin has seven major collections namely: Patrimony; Malte; Quai de L’ile, Overseas; Ladies Timepieces; Historiques and Métiers D Art.

Patrimony is Vacheron Constantin’s classics.   The designs are simple yet elegant and contemporary.  A fine sample is the Classique, a 35 mm yellow gold watch with croco strap pegged at £7,000.

The Malte collection is one of major collections.  The designs are contemporary and use the latest innovations in watch technology.  The Malte Tonneau Tourbillon in platinum is set at £150,000. Iconic Watches is proud to have a Malte tourbillon instock.

The Quai de L’ile collection makes use of cutting edge watch technologies in perfect combination with traditional watchmaking. This line of watch can be personalized according to a customer’s preference.

The Overseas collection is Vacheron Constantin’s answer to contemporary sports watches.  Its Chronographe yellow gold, 42 mm automatic is priced at £30,000.

The Ladies Timepieces collection showcases bold, daring lady’s watches.  The Egérie white gold at 27.50 mm is dearly priced at £60,000.

Historiques is a collection of revivals of legendary timepieces of Vacheron Constantin watches. The Toledo 1952 is automatic is at £20,000.

Métiers D Art is a collection of artful and haute jewelry watches that only Vacheron Constantin can offer.  The Kalla Duchesse in white gold, 45 mm, and hand wound mechanism is priced at £750,000.

Check ourVacheron Constantin collection here and remember Iconic Watches can source anything.

Breguet Watch

Breguet has the historical honour of being Marie Antoinette’s favourite brand. Founded in Paris in 1775 by Neuchâtel-born Abraham Louis Breguet, the brand has had the privilege of providing watches for the elites in the military, scientific, diplomatic and financial world and the crème de la crème who preferred Breguet’s time pieces. Owning a Breguet watch is an epitome of luxury, time precision and the distinction of being one of the “elite”.
As one of the oldest watch making company, Breguet was the innovator of many “firsts” in the world of horology. His first self-winding watch was the “perpetuelles” in 1780. In 1783, its signature open-tipped hands called the Breguet’s hands and the Breguet’s Arabic numeral came out. Before the turn of the 19th century, Breguet had invented the gong spring for the minute repeater, guilloche dials, ratchet key, an anti-shock device, the development of the perpetual calendar, musical chronometer, and the tact watch. Breguet’s greatest contribution in the watch-making industry is the tourbillion regulator in 1801. The first wristwatch was commissioned by the Queen of Naples, Carol Murat, in 1812. Before the half of the 19th century, the forerunners of the chronograph and the marine chronometer were already in the assembly line.

What makes Breguet’s creation more sought after was the fact that the time pieces made by A.L. Breguet were of superior craftsmanship and quality. Add the fact that its endorsers are no less than King Louie XVI, Napoleon Bonaparte, and Queen Victoria. George Washington, Tsar Alexander I and more. The brand of watch was also owned by fictional characters such as Phileas Fogg of Around the World in Eighty Days and Dr. Lorrain of War and Peace.

Each Breguet watch can be easily identified by the coin-edge cases called case band fluting, its guilloche dial featuring the iconic hollow eccentric moon hands and its blue signature Breguet hands. There is probably more imitation Breguets than originals. However, an original and authentic Breguet watch has a secret signature that only a true Breguet watch possesses.

To date, Breguet is now part of the Swatch Group of Companies. It has retained its truthfulness to the mission and vision of A.L. Breguet. Current collections are the: Traditions; Classique; Classique Complications; Marine; Heritage; Type XX and XXI; Reine de Naples (exclusive to women) and high jewellery watches.

Tradition collection is merger of the Breguet’s Souscription watch and modern technology. The look is avant-garde, technology is state-of-the-art but the general look and “feel” of the collection is reminiscent of the first creations of A.L. Breguet.

Classique collection features the simple yet elegant style of Breguet’s original watches. Classique Complications watches include four functions that have been perfected by the genius of the man himself: tourbillion; hand-wound movement that has been engraved manually; perpetual calendar that includes day-date, month and leap years; and small seconds on the tourbillion shaft itself and minute repeaters.

Marine collection passes the standards of the French navy chronometer. Water resistance is from 30 meter to 100 meters.
The Heritage collection does not have the signature round coin-edge casing but the curved tonneau case. Still, the collection looks like a Breguet.

The Type XX and Type XXI are patterned after the French Naval-Air military’s sturdy chronographs of the bygone World War II-era pilot’s watch.

An exclusive women’s line is the Reine de Naples, based on the first women’s wristwatch ordered by Caroline of Murat. Feminine and beautiful, the collection holds true the high quality and elegance of Breguet time pieces. A more bejewelled version is the collection of high jewellery watches. Each design from this collection is of 18 karat gold (white or red) and paved with diamonds in. Water resistance is up to 15 meters. But then, who would want to wet such a fine piece of a wristwatch?

Check out our range of Breguet Watches