To mark Harrods’ 175th anniversary, Vacheron Constantin is inviting devotees of beautiful High Watchmaking to enjoy an original immersive experience at the heart of the famous London department store, a venerable family business that has become a pioneer in innovation and excellence. “Pioneers of the Exceptional” leads visitors from a multi-sensory 4D VR experience – “The Exceptional Voyage” presented by xydrobe – to an exhibition of a selection of Vacheron Constantin’s historically significant watches, incorporating archive images and properties from Harrods to create a dialogue between the two pioneers, through centuries and time. In addition, a single-piece edition Les Cabinotiers timepiece has been created especially for the celebration by Vacheron Constantin, which completes this immersive experience in the high watchmaking universe to its fullest.
An initiatory journey
From 11 June 2024 onwards, Vacheron Constantin will take over Harrods’ Hans Crescent windows, featuring a series of thematic displays, which tells the story of the world of Vacheron Constantin and the Maison’s key collections. This osmosis underlines the collaboration between two brands that share the age-old origins of family businesses, which have become pioneers in their own fields in terms of excellence and innovation. To exemplify the spirit and shared values between the two partners, Harrods’ 175th anniversary is celebrated this summer through the lens of Vacheron Constantin. The watchmaker is offering an “Exceptional Voyage” at the heart of the magnificent London building dating from the early 20th century, a journey that highlights the two partners’ tremendous adventure through the ages.
On the fifth floor, a space has been entirely fitted out to offer visitors a truly immersive experience in the world of beautiful High Watchmaking in Harrods’ iconic colours. The visit begins with a multi-sensory virtual reality* experience – “The Exceptional Voyage”, in a 20-seat cinema room inaugurated for the occasion. Adjoined to the cinema, is an exhibition space inspired by the rarely be seen Harrods vaults and the iconic lift with its doorman, where visitors will discover the Maison’s historic watches and the single-piece edition watch specially created for the event: the Les Cabinotiers Armillary Tourbillon – High Jewellery.
Les Cabinotiers Armillary Tourbillon – High Jewellery watch, artisanal challenge and technical excellence
Entirely set with 671 brilliant-cut diamonds on the case middle, lugs, bezel, dial flange and folding clasp, this 45 mm-diameter platinum watch offers a striking contrast between the brilliance of the precious stones and the delicately matt-green mother-of-pearl adorning the mainplate and bridges, a first for Vacheron Constantin. The work of the master artisan essentially consisted in selecting the pieces of mother-of-pearl to be polished, dyed in a process involving several firings in the kiln and cut according to an extremely precise technical plan. The various elements are then inlaid into the mainplate and bridges previously hollowed out in the manner of mother-of-pearl marquetry.
Beating at the heart of this watch is Calibre 1990, an exceptional movement protected by four patents that has benefited from the R&D conducted for the Reference 57260 watch with its 57 complications. An in-house manual-winding movement with a 65-hour power reserve, Calibre 1990 features an instantaneous double retrograde display of time indications coupled with a bi-axial armillary tourbillon. Such a display requires particular attention to precision and material resistance, given the constant stresses on the mechanism. Titanium hands are used to read the time on a gemset chapter ring punctuated with Roman numerals. This dial-free configuration providing ample scope to admire the green mother-of-pearl-encrusted mainplate and part of the mechanism gives pride of place to the armillary tourbillon is positioned at 9 o’clock beneath a bubble formed by the sapphire crystal.
Operating at a frequency of 18,800 vibrations per hour, the tourbillon comprises two interlocking aluminium cages rotating on two axes at a speed of 60 seconds. The “armillary” part of its name refers to the work of Antide Janvier (1751-1835), who designed an astronomical clock with a moving “armillary” sphere. The regulator of this watch’s biaxial tourbillon is also equipped with a cylindrical balance-spring without a terminal curve, an 1814 invention by Jacques-Frédéric Houriet that gives it a perfectly concentric beat, a guarantee of better isochronism and hence precision. As for the escapement, Vacheron Constantin’s watchmakers have chosen silicon for the pallet-wheel and the pallet-lever with its diamond pallet – all materials with a very low coefficient of friction ensuring improved rating regularity and longevity.
Heading to the boutique
“Pioneers of the Exceptional” continues to the Vacheron Constantin boutique and the Fine Watch room on the ground floor where visitors can familiarise themselves with the Maison’s collections and discover some of the most emblematic timepieces of its private collection spanning a nearly 270 years of horological creation, including the Tour de l’Ile, created in 2005 for the Maison’s 250th anniversary.
*Screenings take place every 30 minutes
From 19 June to 21 July
Monday to Saturday: 10:30am – 8:30pm
Sunday: 12:00pm – 5:30pm
Booking available at https://xydrobe.com/products/harrods-x-vacheronconstantin
