The history of the Vulcain watch brand begins in 1858. Its founder, Swiss watchmaker Maurice Ditisheim, opened the company in La Chaux-de-Fonds. From the moment the company was founded, a clear business development strategy was chosen. This strategy was aimed at capturing the market for watches with complications, relying on the knowledge, experience and talent of Maurice Ditisheim.
In 1890, Maurice Ditisheim invented the Vallee de l’Arve pocket watch model with minute repeater, grand and petite strike and perpetual calendar functions. It was this watch with complications that made Maurice Ditisheim famous in the watch world.
Many of Vulcain’s masterpieces have won awards at international exhibitions in La Chaux-de-Fonds (1881), Paris (1890), Chicago (1893), Geneva (1896) and Barcelona (1929). During the Art Deco years, the company presented a series of magnificent watch collections, mainly jewellery models for women.
In 1946, Vulcain developed and patented the Exactomatic system, which works on the principle of equalising the balance oscillations in any position of the watch, resulting in maximum precision and clarity of the balance mechanism oscillations. This mechanism ensures the utmost precision of the Cricket calibre watches and is still used by the company in all Vulcain models. In 1947, Vulcain became the first manufacturer in the world to officially present a mechanical watch with an alarm clock. It was equipped with the legendary Cricket calibre. For the first time, watchmakers and engineers were able to achieve a real effect from an alarm clock in a mechanical wristwatch: it was powerful enough to wake up the owner.
French physicist Paul Langevin compared the sound of these watches to the crackling of a grasshopper, and they were initially called Cricket. Cricket watches were preferred by the first persons of the USA – Eisenhower, Nixon and Johnson, which allowed them to be called “presidential”. Watches of this brand also accompanied the largest sea and mountain expeditions of the 1950s.
In 2002, the Vulcain manufacture gained new life, driven by ambitions to revive and develop completely new variations of the legendary Cricket caliber. The company’s engineers managed to make several interesting improvements, for example, to use the Incabloc shock protection system.
The Exactomatic system, patented by the company in 1946, also brought tangible dividends. Thanks to it, optimal uniformity of the balance oscillation amplitude is achieved.
Already in 2004, Vulcain presented the Cricket Aviator Elapse Time model. It is equipped with the first improved version of the Cricket caliber, contains a large date window, as well as hour, minute, second functions and an original alarm mechanism.
But the company did not stop at using old developments. Thus, in 2005, the exclusive Imperial Gong model appeared for the first time in the world. This creation of high watchmaking art is the first watch in history with an alarm clock and a tourbillon.
The 2007 models can be briefly described in three words: transparency, classicism and femininity. In the Golden Heart model, Vulcain reveals the heart of its famous Cricket V-10 caliber for the first time. At the same time, the Vulcanova collection of women’s watches is created in full accordance with the spirit of art nouveau. Another new product, Golden Heritage, personifies a completely different world, embodies classicism and elitism thanks to the chronometer function.
Finally, Vulcain demonstrates its mastery of the fine art of cloisonné enamel in two limited edition models: The World and At The Races.
The Vulcain brand has an impeccable key combination of success – a rich history and authenticity of products, which opens up wide horizons for it. As the undisputed authority in the production of mechanical alarm watches, Vulcain continues to cultivate the continuity of models through their harmonious development over a long period.
Continuing the tradition of making exclusive watches for each of the newly elected US presidents, the Swiss watchmaker Vulcain has released the Vulcain Anniversary Heart. The watch was created not only to honor the inauguration of the new US President Barack Obama, but also to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Vulcain brand. The case of the Vulcain Anniversary Heart is made in such a way that it reveals part of the 157-part Vulcain Cricket V-18 movement.
The strengths of the famous Vulcain brand are its strong historical roots and traditions, as well as the authenticity and high quality of Swiss watches created in-house, which opens up serious prospects for the further development of the watch brand. Vulcain’s motto has not changed since its foundation – “Be in the right place at the right time.”
