Swiss luxury watch manufacture Vacheron Constantin has released four one-of-a-kind watches as a part of its 2019 Les Cabinotiers collection ?La Musique du Temps? which pay tribute to Maison?s rich heritage of minute repeater watches that spans over two centuries. The first record of a chiming watch created by Vacheron Constantin dates back to 1806; it was a gold pocket watch with minute repeater registered by the founder?s grandson Jacques-Barthélemy. Ever since, sonnerie or repeater watches have been an integral part of the Manufacture?s proud heritage, steadily enriched over the decades. Called the Minute Repeater Tourbillon Four Seasons, the new collection of four bespoke watches was unveiled in Singapore last weekend. Each of the four unique pieces represents the four seasons of spring, summer, autumn, and winter. The dials depict a carp swimming in a decor decorated with seasonal colors
The watch faces are engraved using the bas-relief technique to highlight the richness of the scenography. In this technique, it takes no less than 60 hours just for engraving before color is applied using the enamel champlevé method. All the four watches are equipped with the 2755 TMR caliber, which regulates the striking mechanism by means of a one-minute tourbillon with a rotating carriage serving to neutralize the effects of the Earth?s gravity. The manual-winding movement, with a 58-hour power reserve discreetly indicated on the back, beats at a rate of 2.5Hz (18,000 a/h), a l...