On the occasion of Watches&Wonders, held in Hong Kong from September 25th to 28th 2013 and the first ever such event organised in Asia, Vacheron Constantin – founded in 1755 and the world’s oldest watchmaking Manufacture with almost 260 years of uninterrupted activity – proudly celebrated its “The Sound of Time” exhibition as well as the global launch of the Manufacture’s brand new Patrimony Contemporaine Ultra-Thin Calibre 1731, the world’s thinnest minute repeater. 

Inaugurated on September 24th, Watches& Wonders welcomed thousands of guests, mainly journalists, watch lovers and collectors, coming from Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, Korea, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Australia. On the Vacheron Constantin stand, they were immersed into a world of elegance and sophistication pervaded by a warm and comfortable atmosphere. As in the boutiques, contemporary elements were combined with traditional design. Visitors enjoyed a chance to view a vast collection of timepieces celebrating Vacheron Constantin’s incredible savoir-faire. 

Several world premieres were on show, such as the Patrimony Contemporaine Ultra-thin Calibre 1731, Historiques Toledo 1951, Patrimony Contemporaine Small Model, Patrimony Traditionnelle 14-Day Tourbillon Collection Excellence Platine and the trilogy of the Métiers d’Art Les Univers Infinis II. 

There was also an opportunity to experience a tuneful and luminous journey thanks to “The Sound of Time” exhibition especially designed for the occasion in honour of the history of Vacheron Constantin. Providing a fascinating means of exploring the mastery of the striking watch cultivated within the Manufacture, the exhibition featured a display of the Heritage watches, a collection of treasured timepieces demonstrating a broad range of in-house expertise. It represented an open invitation to appreciate the masterful craftsmanship of these finely-tuned instruments of time.

The highlight of the event was undoubtedly the world premiere of the Patrimony Contemporaine Ultra-thin Calibre 1731. With this outstanding model that thus made its debut in Hong Kong last week, Vacheron Constantin is presenting a spectacular feat of human ingenuity expressed through a blend of artistry and finesse that admirably epitomises the enduring continuity of the skills that it is dedicated to perpetuating. This avant-garde timepiece most notably houses the world’s thinnest minute-repeater. To complement the sleek build of this timepiece, the ultra-thin Calibre 1731 is also endowed with a large power reserve of approximately 65 hours. A masterpiece of horological complexity, Calibre 1731 comprises a delicate and ingenious balance of mechanisms to produce the musical harmony of chimes that represents the chief purpose of a striking watch. 

Vacheron Constantin’s CEO, Juan-Carlos Torres, was delighted to welcome guests to the gala dinners held in its Brasserie, where they were taken on a multisensory gastronomic voyage embodying a celebration of sound, time and texture. He also shared three temporal dimensions of the Maison and gave his definition of time: “Time for history, time for expertise and time for creation. The Manufacture’s ongoing commitment to these values that it has always striven to uphold pursues its ultimate goal of excellence, since continuity contributes to forging quality”.