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Malte, giving form to beauty
History & Masterpieces

Malte, giving form to beauty

Wednesday, 08 February 2017
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Marie Le Berre
Freelance writer and journalist

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Launched with the third millennium and revisited for the 100th anniversary of the tonneau form, the Malte collection testifies to the technical expertise and creative aesthetics associated with Vacheron Constantin. With it, the Manufacture expresses the different facets of its art to outstanding effect, particularly when embracing the demands of its form completely.

The Malte collection takes its name from the Maltese Cross that is part of the Vacheron Constantin logo, featured on almost all its dials. Whoever chose the Cross as the brand’s emblem in 1880 probably wasn’t thinking of the historic symbol of the Order of St. John; more likely they had in mind a similarly shaped component of mechanical movements, namely a small wheel positioned on the barrel cover to prevent overwinding.

Inspiration for the shape of the Malte watch came from Vacheron Constantin’s own past. The wristwatch was still in its infancy in 1912, and the Manufacture was among the first to break with the traditional round case of the pocket watch when it chose instead a tonneau form. Short, long, or pure fantasy, this rounded rectangle gave rise to all types of interpretation throughout the twentieth century. It even went on to become a hallmark of the Vacheron Constantin aesthetic when the brand chose a tonneau shape for the commemorative watch made for its 240th anniversary in 1995.

Vacheron Constantin Malte Tonneau Tourbillon
Vacheron Constantin Malte Tonneau Tourbillon, presented in 2000
A collection for the third millennium

Five years later, Vacheron Constantin celebrated the year 2000 with the launch of the first Malte collection. This was a watch for the new millennium that had its roots in the brand’s technical and aesthetic heritage, with round and tonneau styles distinguished by flared lugs, a stylised Maltese Cross stamped on the crown, and facetted sword-shaped hands. The star of the collection, the Malte Tonneau Tourbillon, was fitted with a specially developed, in-house-manufactured, manual-wind calibre. Unlike any other movement in the collection, both then and to come, it too had a tonneau shape. Further accentuating its filiation, the tourbillon cage reprised the form of the famous cross. An openworked version followed in 2003. In 2008, subtle changes were made to the case: tighter lines, more compact lugs, and lug-covers to seamlessly join case and strap were a foretaste of the new-generation Malte collection.

Vacheron Constantin Malte Tonneau Tourbillon
Vacheron Constantin Malte Tonneau Tourbillon, presented in 2008
New dimensions

Come 2012, the tonneau form had been a part of Vacheron Constantin for exactly one hundred years. The time had come to make it the hallmark of a collection, and Malte was the natural choice. Since then, every Malte watch has resided inside a tonneau case. The sides have a more pronounced curve and the lugs, partly concealed by the bezel, are more discreet. Roman numerals at 12 and at 6 distinguish the dial. Classic in spirit, contemporary in style, the new collection lends itself to more or less sophisticated renditions, for men and for women. For him, simplicity takes the form of a small seconds; for her, styles with or without small seconds are accentuated by a row of diamonds on the bezel.

Form watches are a favourite playing field for the most gifted gem-setters.

A specially developed tourbillon again paved the way for complications. It retained the two main characteristics of its predecessor, namely the cage shaped like a Maltese Cross and the tonneau form of the movement. This shaped calibre is doubly exclusive, as not only is it reserved for the Malte collection, even within the range it is only ever associated with the prestigious tourbillon. Already a feat in itself, Vacheron Constantin took this form movement to a higher level still by transforming it into a fully openworked calibre. Its craftsmen created a deliberately architectural motif based on the triangle to produce a three-dimensional effect and intricate plays on light and dark.

Vacheron Constantin Malte High Jewellery
Vacheron Constantin Malte High Jewellery, small model, presented in 2015

Form watches (that is, watches that are not round) are a favourite playing field for the most gifted gem-setters too, and Vacheron Constantin is a talented and enthusiastic practitioner of this craft – one only need think of the Kalla watches. The tonneau shape of the Malte collection was to be no exception. The most stunning examples are the Malte Tourbillon and the Malte small model for ladies, both completely covered in baguette diamonds using the complex invisible setting technique. The precious metal disappears beneath a carpet of stones, set closely together for uninterrupted sparkle.

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