It’s an important year for three of the world’s most established watch brands, and unsurprisingly, they’re not letting it pass without a bit of a song and dance. The youngest of this holy trinity is A Lange & Söhne – although, at 170 years old, I’m not sure we’ll be seeing Herr Lang or Herr Söhne down the skate park any time soon. Indeed, if F. A. Lange were here today, he’d be 200. To mark the occasion, the brand has created the handsome 200th Anniversary F. A. Lange in platinum in a limited edition of 200 watches.
Next up is Baume et Mercier. The brand is celebrating its 185th birthday with a limited edition version of its highly distinguished Clifton range. The Clifton 8-Day Power Reserve will be limited to 185 pieces, naturally. This 45.5mm 18K-red gold piece has been decked out with a manual movement enabling the watch to run for over a week – its impressive longevity surely symbolic of the brand’s broader staying power.
Finally there’s the senior pro, Vacheron Constantin – the world’s oldest luxury watch brand to have enjoyed uninterrupted production. Vacheron Constantin begun the party early at this May’s Baselworld where it launched the Harmony collection to celebrate its 260th anniversary. The elegant cushion shape draws inspiration from the brand’s creations in the 1920s, but there’s nothing vintage about the caliber within. The self-winding 2640 DT provides a dual-time display, including an elaborate mechanism that enables easy adjustment of all functions via the crown.
In addition, a scrolling motif inspired by the balance-cock of the oldest pocket watch belonging to the Maison and signed by Jean-Marc Vacheron in 1755 adorns the inaugural timepieces in this collection. It’s understated celebration as only the Swiss can do. At the other end of the spectrum, Vacheron Constantin has also been busy creating the most complicated watch ever made. More on that to come…
