Vulcain enters a new phase in its recent history: after coming back to Baselworld, a new CEO was appointed. And there are several new enticing models worth taking a look at.
Founded in 1858, Vulcain became an icon of Swiss watchmaking mainly due to its specialization in alarm timepieces throughout the 1950s and 1960s. Just like many other watch brands, it suffered from the crisis that severely affected the industry in the two following decades until the renewal implemented in 2001. A dozen years after that resurrection, Vulcain left the usual show room at the adjacent Hotel Ramada to finally come back to the main building at Baselworld and introduce its 2013 new models – and there is even more recent news regarding the Le Locle-based manufacture: there’s a new sheriff in town!
The Excellence Holding (a group that also owns luxury retail chain Les Ambassadeurs) shareholders have replaced Bernard Fleury – a respected veteran of the industry and the mentor of Vulcain’s 21st century revival – by Renato A. Vanotti as the brand’s CEO to complement his chairman of the board duties, while Olivier Calame will be in charge of Operations, Logistics and Administration; and Daniel Wechsler, appointed CEO of sister company Jaermann & Stübi last November, will double up as Marketing, Sales and Communication director. The new managing trio faces a big challenge: to propel an emblematic brand to new heights.
Presidential influence
Right now, the mission looks promising. Vulcain has an interesting industrial base with several in-house variations of the two main Cricket Manufacture-made movements (the hand-wound V-10 and the automatic V-21) plus a catalogue that has been enriched in the past years with a strong line that became the brand’s flagship collection: the 50s Presidents’ Watch, boasting classic and clean looks reminiscent of the decades when Vulcain was famous worldwide because of its mechanical alarm specialization and had its timepieces on the wrist of US presidents Truman, Eisenhower, Johnson and Nixon – hence the moniker “The Watch of Presidents” or “The Presidents’ Watch”.
The American connection is a strong one for Vulcain: it received international acclaim at the Chicago World Fair in 1893 and it was at New York’s Waldorf Astoria that the brand unveiled the Cricket as the first ever truly functional alarm wristwatch in 1947. When the brand was re-launched in 2001, every single piece in the collection had a Cricket calibre – but it was precisely the 50s Presidents’ line that ‘freed’ the collection from the Cricket ties in 2012, with a range of classically styled chronographs and automatic timepieces that did not include the iconic alarm.
Under the moonlight
This year, the main new addition to the celebrated 50s Presidents’ line effectively doesn’t boast the acoustic function: it’s the beautiful 50s Presidents’ Moonphase, featuring a triple calendar plus the Earth’s satellite, reminiscent of a 1953 Vulcain model. The reinterpretation of the 50s spirit is quite accurate with a perfect exercise in style that epitomizes classicism and understated elegance. The Moon follows its cycles encircled by a pointer date at 6 o’clock, whereas two small windows show the day and month beneath 12 o’clock; the sunburst dial is available in silver-toned, charcoal grey or blue shades accompanied by rhodiumed or pink numerals and hour-markers on a 42 mm-diameter steel or rose gold case.
Another novel feature on the 50s Presidents’ timepieces is the beautiful new index-only dials (blue, black) that complement the 50s Presidents’ models motored by a Cricket calibre and recently the brand unveiled a 50-piece limited edition dedicated to France using that same streamlined dial on a silver-toned version.
Diving into the funky 70s
Beyond the 50s Presidents’ collection, the most talked-about model shown at the brand’s new booth in Baselworld’s Hall 1.1 was a faithful re-edition of the 1970 Nautical model that rapidly became a favourite among media representatives and vintage aficionados.
The Nautical was first introduced in 1961 as the first diver watch with audible alarm underwater and its reintroduction has been a main feature in Vulcain’s catalogue over the past decade; the new Nautical Seventies has all the traditional Nautical characteristics – alarm, triple case-back acting as a resonance chamber, decompression charts on the dial – but now featured on a timepiece that exudes typically funky forms and colours from the 70s. The Nautical Seventies with orange hues on the dial is issued in a limited edition of 300 pieces but will have a blue brother: the Nautical Seventies Trophy, a limited edition run of timepieces associated with a regatta sponsored by Vulcain.
From under the sea to the air: due to an association between two well-known Swiss companies, Vulcain equipped the wrist of Swissair pilots in the fast-paced 50s on the first regular transatlantic flights – with Cricket models featuring a second timezone. It’s only natural that the brand kept an Aviator line in its collection and both the new Aviator GMT Pilot and the limited edition Aviator GMT Pilot DLC feature a 24-hour worldtimer function adjustable via a screw-lock crown. Air, sea and promised land in the watchmaking cradle of Le Locle – it seems Vulcain has come full circle in 2013, showing off its most mature collection ever.
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