841Σ︎
Vacheron Constantin
Ref. 43050/000P-8807
Mercator, Macau, No. 1
A fresh-to-the-market, unworn, very rare and attractive limited edition platinum wristwatch with retrograde hours and minutes, polychrome champlevé enamel dial depicting Southeast China and Macau and warranty, numbered 1 of a limited edition of 8 pieces, made to commemorate the Handover of Macau on 20 December 1999
Full-Cataloguing
- Unworn condition and fresh-to-the-market
- Dial version first time seen on the market
- Numbered 1 out of 8 pieces made
- Made to commemorate the Macau Handover on 20 December 1999
In July 1999, Vacheron Constantin revealed the Macau Mercator at the Macau Military Club, commemorating the coming Handover of Macau on 20 December 1999. With only 8 pieces made in platinum, the present watch numbered 1 is exceptionally rare. This is the first time this dial version has been seen on the auction market, making a debut along with the yellow gold version available in this auction.
The watch is fitted with a champlevé enamel dial inspired by Gerardus Mercator map of China, featuring a simpler depiction of the South China region marked with major ports like Macau, Chincheo (modern day Fujian region) in 16th century Portuguese names. The dial is signed by Jean and Lucie Genbrugge, near the minute arc near the edge of the dial. The master enamellers carve geographical details into the dial, followed by more than thirty kiln firings at temperatures reaching 900°C. Each layer needs individual firing and polishing. The whole process requires extreme caution, even the slightest mistake would deem the dial unusable, with many lost to the medium’s brittleness during gradual cooling. The high standards in production make the whole twelve-day creation process yields only two dials monthly.
The mechanical artistry matches the brilliant craftsmanship of the dial. The Vacheron Constantin ultra-thin self-winding cal. K1120 is modified to fit the twin retrograde hands that takes the appearance of dividers that were used in old days for measuring distances on maps. The hands sweep across the arched scales, and snap back instantaneously to their starting positions—the hours completing their journey every twelve hours and the minutes every sixty. The complication is complex, and indeed impressive since the hand placement is off-centred, requiring the hands to operate on a different axis than the crown.
Offered in unworn condition with its original paperwork, this timepiece is a desirable commemorative piece to the Handover of Macau, and a tribute to the legendary geographer Gerardus Mercator, representing a pivotal moment when Vacheron Constantin merged Renaissance cartography with micromechanical innovation.
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.