MERCATOR MODEL, REF. 43050, MOVEMENT NO. 798'089, CASE NO. 656'895, MANUFACTURED IN 1995

A revelation when it was released in 1994 as one of horology's very first double retrograde wristwatch, this highly distinctive model was originally made in a limited edition of 50 pieces to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the death of 16th-century cartographer Gerardus Mercator. The traditional method of showing hours and minutes was abandoned and instead, the time is shown via a double retrograde mechanism with the hands shaped like a pair of cartographer’s dividers. As each hand reached the end of its arc, 12 for the hours and 60 for the minutes, it dramatically 'flies' back to its starting position.

Cloisonné enamel dials naturally take a prominent position in terms of beauty, craftsmanship and rarity. Made by the very finest craftsmen in Vacheron’s ‘Metiers D’Art’ workshops, the artist created the outline of the countries by arranging thin gold wires on the dial plate. These partitions, called ‘cloisons’ in French, were filled with small quantities of enamel powder in the desired colour. The dial was then fired in an oven at high temperature causing the powder to melt. Once the first firing was completed, the artist then painted the details of the design, and the dial would then be fired again. Finally, it was hand-polished until a perfectly flat surface was obtained. The ‘Mercator’ model was a particularly fitting choice for an enamel dial, as its unique design allows the full surface of the dial to act as an open canvas for unencumbered decoration.