Vacheron Constantin and The Digital Age
The historic Swiss maison and the Institute for Digital Archeology together to illustrate the evolution of 1000 years of mechanical watchmaking history. On display until 14 December in Oxford and from January in New York
In Oxford, which has always been one of the "capitals" of world culture, the Institute for Digital Archeology (IDA) has also been located since 2012. Well yes, already in the era of 4.0, of augmented reality and artificial intelligence that have invaded every aspect of our daily life, it was time that there was also an institution that dealt with digital archeology. And now, IDA, together with Vacheron Constantin, founded in 1755, also investigates the evolution of time measurement over the centuries. How? With the exhibition "The Heartbeat of the City: 500 Years of Personal Time", on display until 14 December 2020 at the History of Science Museum in Oxford. A veritable celebration of 1,000 years of mechanical watchmaking and 500 of Swiss watchmaking, with a selection of timepieces that have made the history of the maison and beyond. In particular, twelve models are to be admired, including one of the Maison's very first pocket watches with striking tone, an 1816 quarter repeater timepiece and a very rare, particular watch for the blind made in 1964.
“The history of time measurement is marked by inventions and discoveries that make it one of the most surprising human adventures. With its 265 years of history, our Maison has always been the protagonist of this adventure, thanks to the genius of our watchmaking ancestors, whose excellence is one of the reasons that push us to always do our best. This exhibition, in which we are particularly proud to participate, is the recognition of the importance of watchmaking in society, "said Louis Ferla, Ceo of Vacheron Constantin. Roger Michel, founder of IDA, adds: "Without methods to measure and track time, we lose the ability to appreciate its passage. In practice, time loses its meaning. A clock or a calendar, therefore, are not only devices for measuring time, but also express human interpretation ".
The exhibition will move to New York in the spring of 2021.
“The history of time measurement is marked by inventions and discoveries that make it one of the most surprising human adventures. With its 265 years of history, our Maison has always been the protagonist of this adventure, thanks to the genius of our watchmaking ancestors, whose excellence is one of the reasons that push us to always do our best. This exhibition, in which we are particularly proud to participate, is the recognition of the importance of watchmaking in society, "said Louis Ferla, Ceo of Vacheron Constantin. Roger Michel, founder of IDA, adds: "Without methods to measure and track time, we lose the ability to appreciate its passage. In practice, time loses its meaning. A clock or a calendar, therefore, are not only devices for measuring time, but also express human interpretation ".
The exhibition will move to New York in the spring of 2021.
