43050, Mercator, Yellow Gold

Vacheron Constantin’s Mercator is a time-only quite unlike any other. Released in 1994, it sought to honor the 400th anniversary of Gerardus Mercator who created map projection—the basis of all modern cartography. He was also, notably, a calligrapher and engraver: both of which inspired the overall basis for this ref. 43050. The approach is daring, but not out of character for Vacheron Constantin, who have a long and storied history of alternative time display watches going back to the famous ‘Don Pancho’. It was not until 1994 that Vacheron Constantin gave the world a contemporary take on their retrograde displays, this time for the time itself. The Mercator that resulted is one of the most beautiful yet unusual pieces of any brand’s modern history, a rare touch of daring from the notoriously conservative Vacheron Constantin. 

During the 10 years of production, about 64 examples were made yearly, putting the total production around 638 pieces. Dials of various regions of the world were produced, with more variants than most realize. Each was the brainchild of Jean & Lucie Genbrugge, storied enamelists and watchmakers. Jean is said to have approached Vacheron with the idea for the Mercator concept initially. This example sports a solid gold dial of Europe, Africa, and Asia, often called the ‘Eurasia’ dial for short. It is acid etched and inked by hand, with continents named in latin. Each dial usually had an Easter Egg of sorts, with this example sporting a sea monster near where 9 would traditionally be located. Similarly, at 4 you can find the signature ‘J&L Genbrugge’, a rare example of Vacheron Constantin letting an individual, or two individuals in this case, co-sign a production dial.

All Mercators were based on Vacheron’s calibre 1120/2, a JLC 920 ébauche with Genbrugge’s own bi-retrograde mechanism integrated on top. Despite the mechanism, the overall watch is just 8.5mm thin, which lends a real elegance to its wearing. The case design is often overlooked as the dial is so distinct, but it features unique dual-stepped lugs that echo the best of mid-century models like the 2497. At 36mm, it wears subtly but with strong presence from that lug profile. 

The Mercator is one of the most beautiful, expressive, and unusual creations of the 1990s ‘holy trinity’, all thanks to one pair of inspired and genius watchmakers. Vacheron Constantin were wise to allow the Genbrugge couple to see their idea through from inspiration to a completed watch. This type of solitary vision, cohesive watchmaking rarely happens today. The result is a memorable, extremely special time-only which respects history while building on it.  

This 43050 presents in excellent overall condition. The case is strong, with all caseback engravings and hallmarks clear and well-defined. Its lugs show no rounding over and present strong original shape. Its dial shows light signs of patina around the engraving, commensurate with age. The upper section of the minute hand sports a strong oxidation patina which ranges from teal to rose in sections, which should be noted. Its calibre 1120/2 is running well in specification on our timing equipment. It comes with its matching gold deployant clasp.

This example is modelled on an average-sized 7-inch wrist.