988Σ︎
Vacheron Constantin
Ref. 47070/000J
Hommage Aux Grands Explorateurs “Fernand de Magellan”
A highly rare and attractive yellow gold wristwatch with wandering hours, champlevé enamel dial depicting the travels of Fernand de Magellan, certificate and presentation box, one of a limited edition of 60 pieces
Full-Cataloguing
- Fresh to the market and full set
- 5th example to appear in the auction market
- Dial depicts Fernando de Magellan’s expedition from Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean
In 1994 the Geneva manufacture took the horological world by storm with the Mercator, a collection whose dials bore antique maps of Eurasia or the Americas, animated by a pair of retrograde hands shaped like the legs of a compass. The model’s critical and commercial success led, a decade later, to the Hommage Aux Grands Explorateurs introduced in 2004. Limited to sixty pieces for each of four celebrated navigators, the watches feature elaborate two-level dial constructions that chart the voyages of history’s most daring explorers.
The present example is dedicated to Fernando de Magellan, who in 1519, commanding a fleet of 5 ships and 300 men set sail from the port of Seville bound for the Spice Islands (today Indonesia). The dial depicts the route he travelled from Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean – named as such due to the fact that Magellan was marveled by its calm waters.
Executed in hand-painted champlevé enamel on a two-level plate, the dial presents a finely detailed cartographic view of the southern tip of South America. Warm terracotta and ochre tones define the rugged outlines of Tierra del Fuego and the Patagonian coast, set against pale blue seas. On the western shore stand Patagonian figure armed with spears, while sparse vegetation marks the land; to the east a full-rigged sailing ship rides the Atlantic.
The result is a miniature atlas of rare beauty on which time itself appears to navigate Magellan’s legendary route.
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.