SIHH 2009: Vacheron Constantin Kallania Watch

The Vacheron Constantin Kallania watch is an extravagant new haute joaillerie creation from the venerable Geneva house.  With its white gold case, dial and bracelet set with 186 emerald-cut diamonds--170 carats in all--the Kallania timepiece presents a glorious sequel to Vacheron Constantin's mythical Kallista from 1979--the "most expensive watch in the world".

Selecting the diamonds to be used in the Vacheron Constantin Kallania watch is a process nearly as arduous as the creation of the timepiece itself.  Each of the emerald-cut diamonds chosen has earned a laboratory certification from the Swiss Gemological Institute (SSEF), a testament to their exceptional color, purity, and exceptional cutting and finish quality.  

The Vacheron Constanstin Kallania watch displays a "cuff" form, whereby case and bracelet join in one integral unit.  This design provides an ideal landscape for the superb bead-setting technique; white gold elements shaped like inverted pyramids hold the emerald-cut diamonds with perfect security, yet evoke an impression of lightness and delicacy.  

Ticking inside the exquisite Kallania timepiece is a mechanical movement of appropriate distinction--the 1003 Caliber. Hallmarked with the "Poincon de Geneve" (Geneva Seal) for its strict conformation to the high standards of traditional Geneva watchmaking, the manually wound 1003 has the distinction of being the world's thinnest mechanical caliber.