Vacheron Constantin Fiftysix Tourbillon and a new Partnership
The decade of the 1950s was a crucial period for music – and it was also a golden age for watchmaking. Cliff Richards produced his first songs in the notorious Abbey Road Studios as did the Beatles little later. Vacheron Constantin introduced their first automatic watch (Ref. 6073) in 1956 which today lives on in the Fiftysix collection.
Round and gold – the Original Ref 6073 from the 1950s
At the beginning of this year, the Maison already introduced three new types – now Vacheron Constantin launches a tourbillon complication for the first time within its Fiftysix collection. And to pay homage to the golden age of the 1950s, Vacheron Constantin also announced an exclusive partnership with the Abbey Road Studios.
Fiftysix Tourbillon 6000E-000R-B488
With the Reference 6073 from 1956 Vacheron Constantin presented something completely new – their first automatic watch at a time where manual watches were more common. It was also a perfect time for round and golden watches – whereas the case shape at that time was rather a tonneau shape with a round bezel, in todays collection even more then in the past. Now, with the Fiftysix Tourbillon Vacheron Constantin has created something new again – their first Tourbillon within this historical collection. And on top, the caliber 2160 is equipped with a peripheral rotating rotor.
The first Fiftysix with a Tourbillon complication
Thus the rotor (made of 22-karat gold) offers an almost unhindered view onto the movement, which is just 6mm thin. Just like all models from the Fiftysix collection, it’s an automatic movement developed and manufactured by Vacheron Constantin. The two-tone opaline-sunburst dial and the case with its crown remain in the usual style of the collection. As in previous models, the four lugs each represent a branch of the Maltese cross. A homage to the brand logo of Vacheron Constantin, which has also been placed artfully on the Tourbillons’ bridge.
The 6mm thin movement 2160 with peripher rotor
Vacheron Constantin has for a long time maintained a close relationship to arts, especially to music. Watchmaking and music are a craft that require a lot of skills that fascinate humans equally. The British songwriter Benjamin Clementine has given a private concert in the Abbey Road Studios in occasion of the partnership. Clementine will become the new testimonial for the brand.
Vacheron Constantin FIFTYSIX Tourbillon
The Fiftysix collection is very much alive and an important pillar in the portfolio of Vacheron Constantin. The Fiftysix Tourbillon will be available from April 2019 exclusively in Vacheron Constantin boutiques at a price of 118.000,- Euro.
Reference: 6000E/000R-B488 – Available from April 2019
Panerai presents two new special editions with an original dial, inspired by one of the pendulum clocks which was offered in the windows of the historic store in the Piazza San Giovanni in Florence in the last century. Since it was founded in 1860, Florence’s Orologeria Svizzera – as the Panerai family’s historic store was…
Louis Vuitton and Geneva-based watchmaker Akrivia surprised the watch world with their recently announced collaboration that resulted in the majestic LVRR-01 Chronographe à Sonnerie. You can find a detailed report on the timepiece and the collaboration between the two brands here. In the run-up to the event, we had the opportunity to speak personally with…
For means of being transparent, this article must start with a confession: the author of this story is not exactly unbiased. Blue, in all its many shades, is his colour – starting with his admiring view of the oceans, and not ending with a slowly but surely exuberant selection of jackets and shirts in every…
Jaeger-LeCoultre is much more then just ‘Reverso’, an icon that most watch enthusiasts might instantly have in mind thinking about the brand. Jaeger-LeCoultre also characterizes a deeply rooted passion for extreme sports watches. After all, the Reverso was originally made for sports too – for Polo players, but it can more likely be regarded as…
To speak of a modest-looking watch would be inappropriate for such a complex model with such a long history. However, if one looks at the versions currently representing the collection, the latest Patek Philippe perpetual calendar chronograph is probably the most discreet version of them all. Yellow gold with a silver-opaline leaf – this is…
At the time when the collection was first launched in the 1960th it was still called Admiral’s Cup, named after the legendary sailing regatta that took place from 1957 to 2003. The collection soon became famous as the ‘nautical-legend’ and was the first ever waterproof square wristwatch. In the 1980th the dial received its striking flags that are…
The Maison Jaeger-LeCoultre not only develops and produces sophisticated movements and complications (around 1.250 own calibres) in their manufacture in Le Sentier, but they also cherish the craftsmanship in terms of decorating movement parts, plates and dials. The most qualified artisans of their craft are joined in the manufacture's own Atelier “Métiers Rares” and with a…
At a time when the battleship Royal Louis of the French Royal Navy had to fight for its nation’s defence in the 18th century, its crew had to rely on precise navigation tools to calculate their position. They used marine chronometers – also called longitudinal clocks – because the determination of the longitude on the sea…
The history of the most expensive Audemars Piguet watches ever offered at auction is simultaneously a narrative of the brand’s greatest achievements, its illustrious heritage, and the most exquisite models it has produced throughout its long corporate history. The timepieces’ lofty prices are, in a sense, a reflection of the rich tradition they carry, and…
A near-fatal diving accident is responsible for Swiss watch manufacture Blancpain’s significant contribution to the mechanical diving watch. While other major players such as Rolex, Omega, and Panerai have also earned themselves a certain reputation in this area of expertise, Blancpain can lay claim to having developed decisive features as early as the 1950s with…
Alongside the news that Rolex is increasing the size of its new-generation Submariner models, the horology house has also decided to go large on its 2020 Oyster Perpetual watches, which are now available in 41 mm for the first time. What's more, Rolex has made space for the seven sizeable new watches by bidding goodbye…
The watch manufactures attending this year's watch fair in Geneva presented us with some absolute horological masterpieces. Vacheron Constantin launched the world's most complicated watch with 63 complications (including the first Chinese perpetual calendar), Piaget the world's thinnest tourbillon watch and Rolex, at 322 grams, certainly the heaviest diver's watch ever launched. The watch with the deepest water resistance this year comes from Montblanc, actually…
An interesting thing about the Richard Mille brand is their incredible thirst for technical innovative watches, always researching on new materials for the most possible light, strong and advanced timepieces. Something else we find interesting is the fact that the brand has managed to commit sportsmen to wear their watches even during competition. We have…