Vacheron Constantin Mercator 43050

Vacheron Constantin Mercator 43050 - 1997

During the period spanning the mid-1980s to the early 2000s, the watch industry ehas to face many challenges with the quartz crisis which pushed them to reimagine themselves and move beyond their traditional history. Vacheron Constantin responded with the Mercator, launched in 1994 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Gerardus Mercator’s death. The unusual time-telling display was conceived to resemble a compass, and used a dual-retrograde handset. The design pays homage to the cartographer who created the Mercator projection, which became the standard 'world map' we now recognise. The dial of the Mercator is made of engraved map lines, this one representing the Americas , each lines meticulously filled with glossy black enamel. A subtle yet meaningful detail can be found at the 4 o’clock position on the dial’s edge—a delicate lettering reading "J&L Genbrugge." This tribute honors the Belgian couple responsible for designing and crafting these watches. With a 36mm yellow gold case, the Mercator features a stepped bezel complemented by robust, matching stepped lugs. The monochromatic palette of the case and dial allow the artistic map design to command full attention. All Mercator examples utilized the same movement – the ultra-thin self-winding caliber 1120, originally based on a Jaeger-LeCoultre caliber 920 ébauche – which was modified to incorporate a bi-retrograde mechanism for the hours and minutes. This watch comes with its box, outer-box, original certificate of authenticity and manuals. Specifications Brand : Vacheron Constantin Model : Mercator Reference : 43050 Year : 1997 Watch case materials : Yellow Gold Strap Material : Leather Buckle type : Folding Clasp Diameter : 36 mm Dial : Champagne Movement : Automatic Cal : 1120 Box and papers : Certificate of authenticity, Box, Outer box Function : Hours, Minutes Authenticity and warranty: All our watches available on our web site have been thoroughly inspected by our team of experts so as to warrant their authenticity and good operating standing. A mechanical inspection is performed on each watch to warrant its precision and a full service is performed to the extent necessary. A one year warranty is provided on each watch that we bring to market.