Watch Dandy

Vacheron Constantin is one of the grand dames of Genevan watchmaking — tracing their lineage and continuous operation back to 1755, or 260-odd years.  Shortly after Vacheron Constantin’s founding, Captain Cook set sail for Australian shores, claiming it as British sovereign territory in 1770. It took Vacheron Constantin a little longer to make its way down under. In 1881, Australian astronomer William Ernest Cooke commissioned a pocket watch. Fast forward to 2019, and the brand has finally opened its own doors, in the heart of Melbourne’s prestigious Collins Street, giving Australian connoisseurs greater access than ever before to one of watchmaking’s ‘holy trinity’.  In addition to watches from the sporty Overseas line and the dressy Patrimony, we look forward to checking out nine restored vintage pieces from their Les Collectionneurs program, as well as access to the Les Cabinotiers bespoke program. Exciting times for Australian fans of Vacheron Constantin. The Vacheron Constantin Melbourne boutique is located at 88 Collins Street.  

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$2.5K can buy you quite a lot in this world – an economy plane ticket to just about anywhere on the planet, a car that’s probably (definitely) going to have questionable reliability or, if you’re so inclined, a really, really nice bottle of wine. And for us watch enthusiasts out there who already have a varied and sizeable collection, $2500 is enough to access a veritable cornucopia of brilliant timepieces from dozens of different manufacturers. But what if you’re a budding horological enthusiast and you don’t have any watches yet? Is it possible to create a great watch collection that covers all the contextual bases for less than a bottle of Penfolds Grange or a clapped-out 2001 Mitsubishi Magna? The short answer is … yes, it is possible, and here are the five watches that can do it: Tissot Heritage Visodate – The Dress Watch   Any good watch collection needs a timepiece that you can don when the double monks and the double-breasts come out to play, and this Tissot Heritage Visodate, complete with its well-proportioned and cuff-friendly 40mm stainless steel case, is a great example. The Visodate’s understated silver opalin dial ensures versatility with most outfits, and thanks…

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In their upcoming auction, Phillips is focusing their attention on the finest examples of highly coveted double-signed dials. A double-signed dial is where a brand has allowed the name of the retailer that will sell the watch to appear on the dial, alongside the brand’s name. Retailers that have had the opportunity to showcase their name on a watch dial include some of the most famous throughout history, including Tiffany & Co, Harrods, Wempe, Gübelin and Beyer. As a part of their authentication process, Phillips will attempt to contact each of the respective retailers (if they are still trading) to confirm the sale details of each of the watches at the auction. When it came to watches retailed by Beyer Chronometrie, Phillips sat down with the current CEO, René Beyer, to discuss the four watches on offer that were originally sold by the Zurich retailer. It’s a fantastic conversation, where you really get to see the depth of the passion that Mr Beyer has for the watches his family has sold for generations. Find the full video at Phillips right here.

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