While the starting price for a Vacheron Constantin watch is around $12,000, the company recently received a custom watch commission from a European mogul for a cool $6.5 million. The one-of-a-kind timepiece will incorporate several astronomical and astrological calculations, a perpetual calender and leap year, star chart, celestial annual calender, tour billion regulator, sunrise and sunset indication, perpetual time equation, phases and age of the moon, substantial power reserve, multiple time zones and day-night indication. With all this complexity, it could take several years to complete. If owning a regular Vacheron Constantin watch is the equivalent of owning a Rolls-Royce, then having this watch will be like having a garage full of them.
In New York on October 22nd, Vacheron Constantin is also launching its Quai de L’Ile, a watch that is virtually counterfeit-proof (and also a Haute Necessity in our most recent Florida issue). It utilizes layers of invisible UV marking, laser perforations of some parts, special high security inks, engraving, and some other secret measures that are used in passports and currency. According to the Wall Street Journal, the Swiss Customs service has estimated that as many as 40 million counterfeit watches are probably put into circulation each year, so there is a fairly decent chance that the pricey-looking watch on your neighbor’s wrist could be a fake. Unless, of course, it has a star chart, celestial calender, sunrise and sunset indication, tour billion regulator, and so on…
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October 28, 2008LuxuryIndex.com Boat of the Week: 2005 Azimut Leornado 98 “Seven
