Other examples of compromise...from the 1930s

Nov 19, 2017,12:40 PM
 

V&C marked their 150th anniversary in 1935 with a special edition wrist watch, despite a global economic depression. Here I'll let managing director Charles Constantin describe the project: 


"The round gold or steel wrist watch for men, with the crown in the lug, called the "jubilee watch", had a great success with a price of 100 Francs in steel and 200 Francs in 18 carat gold. For this result we used about 300 11-ligne Lepine movements with the seconds opposite the stem - not following the concept of a wrist watch. These movements were paid for largely by putting a Vacheron & Constantin watch on sale for an exceptionally low price. From then on, the workshops were very busy forty hours a week."  translated from Annales Vacheron et Constantin


Antiquorum

In 1937, V&C again went to the shelves to re-purpose unwanted lepine pocket watch movements.  Again from the Annales, M. Constantin speaks:

"One idea would lead to the next, and in order to look for a method of using the 300 movements of 22-lignes that had been prepared for Brazil (ed. Chronometre Royal subscription scheme) and had not been sold since 1914, I came up with the idea of creating some office clocks with four knobs, on a wooden base, reminding one of the navy chronometers.  The wholesale price was fixed at 150 Francs - and they sold quickly."

Tick Talk 2017

Today both of these pieces are valued collector's items; made even more interesting by knowing the key role they played in keeping the brand alive through difficult times.

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Is Vacheron Constantin going down market?

 
 By: rdenney : November 14th, 2017-06:36
Sorry for the provocative title, but I read this today: watchesbysjx.com The notion of Hodinkee becoming a retailer isn't the interesting nugget in that article. But this is: "According to various insiders, Vacheron Constantin will soon be unveiling a... 

Mentioning JLC, and if I'm not wrong,

 
 By: marcelo : November 14th, 2017-07:10
VC used JLC's Master Reserve de Marche movement in one of its models.

VC was once owned by JLC...

 
 By: rdenney : November 14th, 2017-08:18
And used LeCoultre ebauches for years. The same was true for AP in the 80's and 90's (and later). But they were always ebauches that VC finished to their own standard. Even though JLC hasn't owned VC since the 60's (though they are both now under the same... 

Thank you

 
 By: marcelo : November 14th, 2017-08:31
The watch I mentioned is from the 2000s, if I'm right again.

Yes and no

 
 By: alphabeta81 : November 14th, 2017-07:25
I would expect them to have cheaper steel watches. After all, you can get the QDL for 30% off already reasonable MSRP in the USA with one google search from a very reliable middle man website. The MSRP of that in steel is $15,000 and the gold MSRP with sl... 

Every brand ...

 
 By: nilomis : November 14th, 2017-07:43
To conquer market, needs a set of entry level products. VC opened a very nice boutique here where I live but, without entry level products, they could not succeed and they close. If they create an entry level, for their class, product line, they can start... 

Yes it is

 
 By: drphileasfogg : November 14th, 2017-07:50
Sad to see VC going down like this...

What's their strategy?

 
 By: piccolochimico (aka dsgalaxy1) : November 14th, 2017-08:17
I wish I could buy a new overseas for 3-4k... there's still the old reference available, so plenty of choices. Anyway VC is supposed to be Patek main competitor, let's wait what's going on

I've read your link to "SJX" several times now.

 
 By: TheMadDruid : November 14th, 2017-09:24
Where is the reference to "out-sourced movements"? By the way-entry level Vis might not be as bad (or as cheap) as it sounds. Lange last year marketed a beautiful, and beautifully-finished, $14,900 watch. That's entry level, excellent quality, and not rea... 

The article has been changed.

 
 By: brandon1 : November 14th, 2017-10:04
I just re-read it and it’s different than yesterday. The OP’s quote is how it read yesterday. Interesting. Brandon

That is interesting.

 
 By: TheMadDruid : November 14th, 2017-11:22
Maybe they caught some flack.

Ha! That's why I quote from sources.

 
 By: rdenney : November 14th, 2017-11:36
They have indeed removed most of the sentence I quoted and connected it to the following sentence. That doesn't make it not true, of course, but it was presented as gossip and I haven't taken it for more than that. --Rick

Classic change management behaviour?

 
 By: Velociphile - No longer in the building : November 15th, 2017-04:17
Sounds like VC have hit the bargaining phase of change management on there way to the new post bubble normal. If this is done in the right way I don’t see a problem. But dropping a brand entry point is a one way ratchet that can take years to recover from... 

A historical perspective

 
 By: Tick Talk : November 16th, 2017-08:41
VC has a long history of both producing 2 nd quality timepieces and selling the “cheap wares” of others: 1819 – Vacheron & Cie, Vacheron & Girod, Girod-Colombey 1820 – Issac Soret, Freres Desart (dead names bought for the Italian market) 1822 – Ab... 

Other examples of compromise...from the 1930s

 
 By: Tick Talk : November 19th, 2017-12:40
V&C marked their 150th anniversary in 1935 with a special edition wrist watch, despite a global economic depression. Here I'll let managing director Charles Constantin describe the project: "The round gold or steel wrist watch for men, with the crown ...