814Σ︎
Vacheron Constantin
Ref. 43050/000J-8806
Mercator 2000 Germany
A rare and intricate limited edition yellow gold wristwatch with retrograde hours and minutes, polychrome champlevé enamel Germany dial, certificate and presentation box, one of a limited edition of 20 pieces
Full-Cataloguing
- Rare Germany dial, 3rd example to appear in the market
- Limited edition of 20 pieces
- Accompanied with certificate and accessories
The Mercator projection maps are brought to life by the impeccable craftsmanship of Belgian master enamellist couple Lucie and Jean Genbrugge. They used the champlevé technique, hollowing out the 18K gold dial in the shape of the countries and geographical features, then repeated the process of applying enamel and firing them numerous times. It was a laborious process, for any tiniest mistake in any of the procedures could result in an unusable dial. Each dial took over 12 days to finish; thus the production quantity was very limited each month, showing the skills required and challenges faced.
Due to the vast popularity of the watches since their debut, special limited edition variations were produced for selected markets and regions. Most Mercator watches depict maps of continents, while very few examples feature maps of North America, China, Japan, and in this watch, Germany. The yellow gold variant of the German map enamel dial was produced in a small run of 20 pieces, and amongst the handful of Mercator enamel dial watches, this is the third Germany map to appear in the market.
Vacheron Constantin
Swiss | 1755The world's oldest watch brand in continuous operation since its founding in 1755, Vacheron Constantin was the first watch company to manufacture movements with interchangeable parts beginning in 1839. Vacheron's watches are admired for their Latin-influenced case designs, well-balanced proportions and exquisitely finished movements of the highest quality. The Geneva-based manufacturer is known for their highly complicated masterpieces, including the King Farouk Grand Complication made in 1935, the Tour de l'Ile that was the most complicated serially produced wristwatch when introduced in 2005 and the 57260 — the world’s most complicated watch — made in 2015.
Key vintage models include minute repeating wristwatches such as the references 4261, chronographs such as the references 4178 and 6087 and the oversized Cioccolotone models such as ref. 4737. Collectors also appreciate Vacheron's Chronometer Royal pocket and wristwatches, as well as the '222,' the brand's first luxury sports watch produced from 1977 through 1984.