Vacheron Constantin Les Cabinotiers – The Labours of Heracles
Swiss luxury watch brand Vacheron Constantin presents the Les Cabinotiers – The Labours of Heracles, four single-piece edition watches paying homage to the mythical Labours of Heracles.
Vacheron Constantin celebrates its 270th anniversary and its quest for excellence with a new series of Les Cabinotiers watches entitled ‘La Quête’, which pays tribute to astronomy and the odysseys of ancient times. Representing significant technical and aesthetic challenges, these watches highlight Vacheron Constantin’s expertise in creating grand complication watches enhanced by the decorative crafts.
Les Cabinotiers The Labours of Heracles watches pay homage to the eponymous Greco- Roman demi-god, each illustrating one of the 12 legendary tasks that he performed in his quest for redemption. Miniature works of art, the two-level white gold dials showcase the beauty of grand feu enamel, miniature painting and micro-sculpture. Set in a 40mm white gold case, Calibre 1120 AT provides a fascinating and original time display, with wandering hours acting as a hand to indicate the minutes on a fixed scale.
In Ancient Greek mythology, the demi-god Heracles (subsequently adopted into Roman mythology as Hercules) was the son of Zeus, the chief deity among the Greek gods, and Alcmene, a mortal princess whom Zeus had seduced. Furious at Zeus’s infidelity, his vindictive wife, the goddess Hera, tormented Heracles to the point where, in a fit of madness, he killed his own wife, Megara, and their children.
To atone, Heracles consulted the oracle at Delphi and was told to become the servant of his cousin, King Eurystheus of Tyrins and Mycenae. The king, known for his cowardice and petty jealousies, ordered Hercules to undertake a series of 12 Labours, each of which would involve a life-or-death battle.
Through successfully completing all 12 Labours, Heracles has come to represent not only courage, endurance and super-human strength but also ingenuity, creative thinking and resourcefulness in finding ways to overcome seemingly impossible odds.
The Labours of Heracles watches combine ‘wandering’ hours with a fixed minutes register, which is marked in 10-minute intervals on a 120-degree arc on the right-hand side of the dial.
This evocative and unexpected display is made possible by the self-winding Calibre 1120 AT, which incorporates an ingenious satellite hours module developed by Vacheron Constantin’s engineers and built on an ultra-thin manufacture movement. Concealed on the upper side of the movement beneath the dial, the display mechanism is centred on an hours wheel with three spokes, each of which is tipped with a carousel that bears four hours numerals. The mechanism is driven by a patented system shaped like the Maison’s Maltese cross emblem.
As the hours wheel turns, the carousel also turns to reveal the appropriate numeral, which slides gradually from the top to the bottom of the dial, indicating the minutes by its position in relation to the numbers marked on the arc. After crossing the 60-minute mark the hour numeral vanishes, making way for the numeral of the following hour.
Commensurate with the technical prowess expressed through its calibres, Vacheron Constantin has always devoted great care devoted to the hand-finishing of movement components – even those that are no longer visible once the calibre has been assembled. In keeping with this deeply rooted tradition, Calibre 1120 AT is enhanced by a variety of fine finishes, including perlage, Côtes de Genève, sunray and hand-bevelled bridges, which enhance the architecture of the movement with an eye-catching play of light.
These finishes are complemented by a 22K gold oscillating weight with a ‘tapestry’ motif inspired by Greek friezes. This motif is created using a traditional tapestry machine dating back to 1904, operated entirely by hand. The technique begins with the preparation of a pattern template, which guides a finely adjusted lathe to engrave the metal’s surface in a single, continuous movement.
By precisely controlling the pressure and the depth of the cut, the artisan obtains a subtle relief and alternating textures that play with light to reveal the motif in remarkable detail. This ancestral know-how, still mastered within the Maison, imparts each oscillating weight with a pictorial character. The Poinçon de Genève certification of quality and origin attests to the aesthetic values of Calibre 1120 AT, as well as its technical merit.
The dials are constructed from two plates of 18K white gold, each on a different level, with one partially overlapping the other. On the lower level, the right-hand sector of the dial represents a reproduction of a 17th-century map of Greece. On the areas of sea, the taille-douce hand-engraving technique has created waves and added a sense of depth.
Over that textured background, the enameller has applied translucent enamel – colourless on the open sea and grey around the shoreline to add contour – working with great precision to ensure that areas of land remain free of enamel. Four layers of enamel are applied, each followed by firing at temperatures between 800 and 900 degrees Celsius.
The enamelling is followed by hand-engraving of the continents, also employing the taille-douce technique, to create texture and contour – requiring care not to damage the enamel. To create this section of the dial required approximately eight hours of hand-engraving work, with an additional eight hours for the enamelling.
Two further challenges, both demanding precision, were the inscription of the Arabic numerals for the minutes onto the uneven surface comprised of glossy enamel and textured gold, followed by the placing of a polished cabochon of 18K 3N yellow gold just 0.4 mm in diameter in the exact location on the map of the Labour depicted on the dial.
The larger, upper-dial plate on the left-hand side depicts the Labour to which each watch is dedicated. Capturing the human imagination for more than two millennia, the inspiring stories of Heracles’ Labours have been depicted by countless painters and sculptors in different styles over the ages and the Labours of Heracles dials are Vacheron Constantin’s own reinterpretation of the subject, inspired by the style of classical Greek sculpture and European Old Master paintings.
The hero, a three-dimensional micro-sculpture in white gold, is set against a colourful miniature-painted background in grand feu enamel – an artist’s impression of the landscape in which each of the Labours took place.
To create the hand-enamelled background required a total of 50 hours of painstakingly precise work, beginning with the application of five layers of white and opalescent enamel onto the base of 18K white gold, creating a shimmering effect onto which the sky, water and earth were to be painted.
Each of these layers required firing at a very high temperature before the next layer could be applied. This was followed by the painting of the landscape with subtle colour variations and intricately detailed rocks, vegetation and cloud formations, requiring 10 layers of enamel.
Hand-engraved from 18K white gold using the micro-sculpture technique, the figure of Heracles in the midst of his life-or-death struggle with a fearsome mythological beast, exudes strength and power. Although only 0.5 mm thick, it gives the impression of great volume and dynamic movement, thanks to the elaborate detail the engraver brought to Heracles’ musculature, facial features and hair, and to the fur, scales and feathers of the different creatures that he battles with. Each applique requires a total of approximately 40 hours of micro-sculpture.
The Labours of Heracles – Nemean Lion
With a hide that was impervious to weapons, the Nemean Lion terrorised the people of Nemea in the district of Argolis (in modern Corinthia). King Eurystheus commanded Heracles to destroy the beast as the first of his 12 Labours.
The hero, realising that his great archery skill was useless against the lion’s hide, cornered the creature in its cave, seized it by the neck and wrestled it to death. He then made a cape from the hide, which he wore forever as a source of protection and symbol of his courage. The colours of the miniature-painted enamel are complemented by a dark blue alligator strap.
The Labours of Heracles – Lernaean Hydra
Created by Hera herself with the specific aim of killing Heracles, the Lernaean Hydra was a multi-headed serpentine monster that haunted the swamps of Lerna, a region south of Argos near the east coast of the Peloponnese. As his second Labour, Heracles was sent to destroy the Hydra, but for each head that he cut off, two more grew in its place.
With the help of his nephew Iolaus, Heracles applied burning brands to the severed stumps, cauterising the wounds and preventing regeneration. Eventually reaching the monster’s immortal head, he severed it and buried it under a huge rock, then dipped the tips of his arrows into its poisonous blood. The colours of the miniature-painted enamel are complemented by a blue alligator strap.
The Labours of Heracles – Stymphalian Birds
Eurystheus ordered Hercules to rid town of Stymphalos of huge flock of aggressive, man-eating birds that had gathered in the marshes around Lake Stymphalia (today, part of Corinthia). Fierce man-eaters, the birds had beaks of bronze that could penetrate armour, and projectile metal feathers that could be launched at their prey.
Realising the difficulty of Heracles’ task, Athena, daughter of Zeus and the goddess of wisdom and strategic warfare, gave him a bronze krotala (rattle) to help him startle the birds into flight. As the birds flew, Hercules was able to shoot them with his arrows, tipped with the poisonous blood of the Hydra he had slain in an earlier Labour. The colours of the miniature-painted enamel are complemented by a green alligator strap.
The Labours of Heracles – Cretan Bull
Known for its beauty and power, the Cretan Bull was coveted by Eurystheus, who commanded Heracles to capture it with his bare hands and bring it back to Mycenae. The bull had been sent to King Minos of Crete by the god Poseidon on condition that it would be sacrificed to the god but when Minos failed to do so, a furious Poseidon passed his rage to the bull.
When Heracles arrived in Crete, Minos gladly gave him permission to take the bull, which had been running amok, destroying the city and laying waste to farmland. Hercules was able to wrestle the bull to the ground and take him back to Eurystheus.
According to legend, Eurystheus was so terrified of the bull that he had a large bronze jar made, in which he could hide. The colours of the miniature-painted enamel are complemented by a brown alligator strap.
Vacheron Constantin Les Cabinotiers – The Labours of Heracles
Movement
Calibre 1120 AT
Developed and crafted by Vacheron Constantin
Mechanical, self-winding
28.4 mm in diameter, 5.45 mm thick
Approximately 40-hour power reserve
Frequency: 2.75 Hz (19,800 vibrations/hour)
205 components
36 jewels
22K 5N pink gold oscillating weight with a tapestry decor
Indications
Dragging hours, minutes
Certification
Hallmark of Geneva
Case
18K white gold
40 mm in diameter, 12.57 mm thick
Transparent sapphire crystal case-back
Water-resistance tested at a pressure of 3 bar (approximately 30 metres)
Case & accessories
Les Cabinotiers model
Edition
Single-piece edition
Engravings «Pièce unique», «Les Cabinotiers» and “AC” Hallmark on the case-back of the timepiece
Model: Les Cabinotiers The Labours of Heracles – Nemean Lion, Reference 2010C/000G–306C
Dial
18K white gold 3-part dial
Lower (right-hand) sector: hand engraved using taille douce technique, overlaid with translucent grand feu enamel, dark blue hours and minutes
Upper (left-hand) section: miniature-painted Grand Feu enamel
Appliqué: hand-engraved using the micro-sculpture technique
Strap
Dark blue Mississippiensis alligator leather with alligator leather inner shell, hand-stitched, saddle-finish, large square scales
18K white gold folding clasp
Model: Les Cabinotiers The Labours of Heracles – Lernaean Hydra, Reference 2010C/000G–305C
Dial
18K white gold 3-part dial
Lower (right-hand) sector: hand engraved using taille douce technique, overlaid with translucent grand feu enamel, dark blue hours and minutes
Upper (left-hand) section: miniature-painted Grand Feu enamel
Appliqué: hand-engraved using the micro-sculpture technique
Strap
Blue Mississippiensis alligator leather with alligator leather inner shell, hand-stitched, saddle-finish, large square scales
18K white gold folding clasp
Model: Les Cabinotiers The Labours of Heracles – Stymphalian Birds, Reference 2010C/000G–307C
Dial
18K white gold 3-part dial
Lower (right-hand) sector: hand engraved using taille douce technique, overlaid with translucent grand feu enamel, dark blue hours and minutes
Upper (left-hand) section: miniature-painted Grand Feu enamel
Appliqué: hand-engraved using the micro-sculpture technique
Strap
Green Mississippiensis alligator leather with alligator leather inner shell, hand-stitched, saddle-finish, large square scales
18K white gold folding clasp
Model: Les Cabinotiers The Labours of Heracles – Cretan Bull, Reference 2010C/000G–308C
Dial
18K white gold 3-part dial
Lower (right-hand) sector: hand engraved using taille douce technique, overlaid with translucent grand feu enamel, dark blue hours and minutes
Upper (left-hand) section: miniature-painted Grand Feu enamel
Appliqué: hand-engraved using the micro-sculpture technique
Strap
Brown Mississippiensis alligator leather with alligator leather inner shell, hand-stitched, saddle-finish, large square scales
18K white gold folding clasp
