Vacheron Constantin is often hailed as one of the most precise and noble Swiss watchmakers. It has the history, the pedigree, and the selection of timepieces to put it at the top. And although it isn’t as popular as its contemporaries like Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet, it remains a highly esteemed watch brand and part of the well-known ‘Holy Trinity’ of high-end Swiss watch brands.
While its history goes all the way back to pocket watches made for aristocrats in the 18th century, today we want to examine a peculiar creation from the maison from the late 1990s. Yes, I am once again invoking 1990s watches, a decade with both peculiar and unique design. Sometimes marvelous and sometimes a bit of a miss. In this case, in the case of the Vacheron Constantin Jalousie, it’s really quite hard to say whether or not this timepiece is attractive or not. I certainly wouldn’t wear it but that doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate the artistry…and that I wouldn’t keep it in the old safe.
1930s Vacheron Constantin ‘Montre à Volets’ / Credit: Phillips
The Vacheron Constantin Jalousie was made in the late 1990s in very limited quantities and as part of the Les Historiques collection that still exists today. What makes this watch stand out so much are the shutters that cover the dial, like something of a modern take on the original Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso. The shutters would be opened by sliding a sapphire-fit lever at 6 o’clock, exposing the simple yet beautiful dial with sub-seconds also at 6 o’clock. The Vacheron Constantin Jalousie was powered by the Vacheron Constantin Cal. 1017, a caliber based on the Jaeger-LeCoultre 822 – a practice that was commonplace for Vacheron at the time that only later committed to equipped all of their timepieces with in-house movements. This was a manual winding movement introduced by Jaeger-LeCoultre in the early 1990s, with a 21,6000 bph rate, 21 jewels, and a 45-hour power reserve.
Vacheron Constantin Jalousie in red gold with the shutters open / Credit: Bulang & Sons
Credit: Bulang & Sons
The case of the Jalousie was 18k gold, with some models having Roman numerals around the bezel also in 18k gold – a quirky and impractical feature, much like the shutters themselves, adding to the allure of the Vacheron Constantin Jalousie. What is the most interesting aspect of the Vacheron Constantin Jalousie in my opinion is its origins. The Jalousie and its design go back to a wristwatch design from the 1930s known as ‘Montre à Volets’, this watch had similar shutters in beautiful Art Deco style⁵. The case of the original 1930s model was actually made by a close collaborator of Vacheron Constantin, Gustave-Aubert Verger from the Parisian jeweler Verger Frères⁶, who patented the design in 1930⁷. Instead of a lever at 6 o’clock like on the Jalousie, the shutters on the original 1930s version were opened by turning the crown at 3 o’clock, while time was changed by turning a crown at 9 o’clock. If the 1990s versions are rare, the 1930s Vacheron Constantin Montre à Volets’ is something of an enigma! And instead of the rectangular shape that the Jalousie has, the original model was a perfect square.
Ultimately, the Vacheron Constantin Jalousie from the 1990s is part of the wonderful tribute series from Vacheron during that period that was Les Historiques. It is for this spectacularly creative design, with inspiration from the Roaring Twenties, that the Vacheron Constantin Jalousie is both remarkably attractive and completely unwearable in my esteem.
By: Andres Ibarguen
Read more:
“‘Jalousie’ Vacheron Constantin.” Antiquorum, October 14th, 2007, https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/vacheron-constantin-lot-171-399?page=0.
“VACHERON CONSTANTIN | JALOUSIE.” Sotheby’s, https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2020/watches-2/vacheron-constantin-jalousie-reference-91002-a.
“An extremely rare, and well preserved square two-tone gold shutter wristwatch, cased by Verger Frères.” Phillips, May 15th, 2016, https://www.phillips.com/detail/vacheron-constantin/CH080116/152.
Markl, Xavier. “In-Depth – A Look at Shaped Watches by Vacheron Constantin and Patek Philippe through History.” Monochrome Watches, August 19th, 2016, https://monochrome-watches.com/depth-look-shaped-watches-vacheron-constantin-patek-philippe-history/.