Some days ago, a report announced some big news: Vacheron & Constantin have just opened their largest store in the world– and in New York City no less. What’s more, this store includes a special section for vintage Vacheron watches. One-of-a-kind, unique and classic timepieces are clearly back on the rise, and this grand opening of the Vacheron & Constantin store is all the proof you need to believe it.
The report states that not only is this store their largest in the world, but at 4,500-square-feet, it is also four times the size of their previous – and now closed – flagship store in Manhattan. It is even mentioned that the company are planning on opening even more large stores around the globe, in major cities such as London and Tokyo.
The World’s Largest Vacheron & Constantin Store, New York.
The opening of this store, and the planning of even more large V&C stores in the future, means more than one may initially realise. With shops this size incorporating a section of specialised vintage timepieces, we are seeing a major shift in public taste when it comes to what you wear on your wrist. 10 years ago, such an idea would never even have been considered, with watch brands selling new and only new pieces, trying desperately to keep up with the swiftly changing fashions and trends. Now, the demand for vintage timepieces is very much back on the upward slope, and many are starting to ditch their quartz, digital, and battery operated accessories for ones with a bit more history, age, and mechanical complexity.
Some of our Vintage Daily Wear and Dress Watches
We pride ourselves on stocking only high-quality timepieces – our range of vintage manual wind watches taking up most of our shop, along with a smaller collection of automatic mechanical vintage watches, and manual wind pocket watches. Vintage divers are becoming particularly popular in the world of horology (see our article on French Vintage Diving Watches), with the more quirky, colourful, and interesting looking small-brand pieces becoming a more common item to see on the wrists of some – a phenomenon that we haven’t witnessed since before the quartz crisis in the 70’s, when hundreds upon hundreds of small microbrands producing high-quality mechanical timepieces all suddenly couldn’t cope with the tide of quartz watch movements ominously sweeping through the markets (again, see our article).
Just a Glimpse at our Vintage Diver’s
However, although these microbrands are no longer in business, their watches remain – many of them gracing the showcases of Horological Underground Watchmaking Atelier! So come on down and take a look for yourself, and discover why vintage watches, in a world where things are rarely made to last anymore, are a breathe of fresh air in today’s watch market.
Links and Resources:
Read About the 70’s French Diving Watch Boom.
Browse our Vintage Watch Collection.
