Throughout close to 270 years Vacheron Constantin has always experimented with alternative time displays in pocket or wristwatch format. In 1994, the famed Geneva brand took the horological world by storm when it launched the Mercator, a surprising collection of timepieces featuring a dial depicting old maps of Eurasia or the Americas, and two retrograde hands in the form of a compass acting as the hour and minutes indicators. Following the Mercator’s critical and commercial success, Vacheron Constantin launched the Hommage Aux Grands Explorateurs (Tribute to the Great Explorers) in 2004. A series of four watches, limited to 60 pieces each, the watches were made with a two level dial construction representing the travels of a famous explorer. 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.

Creating a cloisonné enamel dial requires extreme skills, dexterity and talent. The artist first marks out the outline of the motifs using a fine gold wire to separate the various enamel regions. Multiple enamel layers are applied depending on the desired colors, followed by numerous successive firing operations in a kiln serving to intensify the color and light effects as well as the gradation of the enamel. A dangerous process as at each firing the dial can break while the enamel may react differently to the heat, resulting in high rejection rates. The level of difficulty has been pushed even further for the dial of this watch as it is made on two levels with a small opening allowing the passage of a sapphire disc for the wandering hour indication.

Please note that the proceeds of the present timepiece will be donated by the consignor to various charities.