Production of Vacheron Constantin minute repeating wristwatches:38 examples in total, in pink, yellow, white gold and platinum : -17 examples in 1942 - 9 examples in 1944 -12 examples in 1951This outstanding wristwatch was developped by Vacheron Constantin in collaboration with Dubois-Dépraz.According to collectors and professionals worldwide, this model is the most beautiful minute repeating wristwatch made during the last 50 years.What is a Minute Repeater?A minute repeating watch tells the time both visually and audibly. A slide on the side of the case, usually near the #9, will activate two hammers in the movement. These hammers strike two gongs curled within the case. First one hammer strikes a gong of lower tonality; it will count out the hours. Then both hammers will strike both gongs alternatively to count out the quarter hours after that hour, and then the second hammer alone striking a gong of higher tonality will count out the minutes aftr that quarter hour. The repeating mechanism was developed by Daniel Quare. In 1687, he had patented a mechanism that sounded the hours and the quarter hours. The early repeaters used bells. At theend of the 18th century, two bent-wire gings became the more popular mechanism. In 1892, the first minute repeater wristwatch was produced by Omega, a model with a round-shaped case.The repeating devicewas invented and patented by Daniel Quare, a famous English watchmaker, in 1690. Repeating watches in any circumstance allowed their owner to know the time: at night, in a dark street, and make it possible for the blind to tell time, etc. Since, most watchmakers and manufacturers have created quarter and minute repeating watches.The first minute repeating wristwatch ever known was made by Omega in 1885. Since the beginning of the 20th century, many of the most important creators, watchmakers or manufacturers, have produced minute repeating wristwatches, always in limited editions, for the most sophisticated collectors in the world.