Vacheron Constantin celebrates the origin of Swiss watchmaking culture at the Capital Museum of China
LAST month, the “Geneva at the Heart of Time – The Origin of Swiss Watchmaking Culture” exhibition organized in collaboration with Geneva’s Museum of Art and History and luxury watch brand Vacheron Constantin was officially opened in Capital Museum, China. It was done in commemoration of the 65th anniversary of bilateral relations between Switzerland and People’s Republic of China, and it is the first-ever Swiss horological exhibition in Capital Museum.
With over 350 exhibits including antiques clocks, pocket watches and wristwatches, as well as watchmaking tools and equipment on display, the exhibition displays the history and excellence of Swiss watchmaking and offers a unique view into the fine watchmaking history in Geneva, the cradle of fine watchmaking for more than three centuries, with a focus on its technical aspects and craftsmanship excellence.
The exhibition will open to public from April 24 to Aug. 12, 2015, on a complimentary basis.
More than 200 watches and enamel exhibits of Museum of Art and History. The manufacturer Vacheron Constantin also exhibits about 80 exclusive pieces from its heritage collection, including the first-known pocket watch created by Jean-Marc Vacheron, founder of Vacheron Constantin, and an exquisite skeleton pocket watch presented at the National Exhibition of Zurich in 1939.
The exhibition also showcases a reconstructed 18th century Geneva cabinotiers workshop, based on a painting by Christophe François von Ziegler on display at Museum of Art & History, Geneva.
In addition to the exhibition of heritage pieces, craftsmen from Geneva, including Master Watchmaker, Master Enameller, Master Gemsetter, Master Engraver, and Master Guillocheur demonstrate, in dedicated spaces in the exhibition, their age-old, yet state-of-the-art techniques from April 23 to May 3, May 28 to June 3, and July 9 to July 15, 2015.
The Capital Museum has extensive collaborative programs with other well-known museums of the world.
Today, it houses more than 200,000 cultural relics. A num-
ber of special exhibitions are organized and presented to the public each year; more than 200 of them have been held at the museum.
There is no shortage of precious items renowned in China and abroad in its collection, which are mostly from the Yuan, Ming, Qing dynasties, including Buddhist statues, ceramics, calligraphy and paintings, bronze ware, jade ware, stone carvings, coins, seals, embroidery, bamboo carvings, wood carvings, ivory carvings, stationery, folk arts and crafts, etc.
260 years of watchmaking excellence
Founded in Geneva in 1755, Vacheron Constantin is the world’s oldest watch manufacturer engaged in uninterrupted activity for 260 years.
The men and women of Vacheron Constantin continue to design, develop and produce exceptional timepieces true to the brand’s three fundaments: perfectly mastered techniques, inspired and harmonious aesthetics, and an extremely high level of finishing.
Vacheron Constantin is exclusively distributed in the Philippines by the Lucerne Group.