Astral. The “Astral” trademark for clock movements was registered by Vacheron Constantin on February 22, 1895. F. Verger. The firm was founded by Ferdinand Verger in Paris in 1872. In 1896 the trade mark “F.V.” was registered. Ferdinand Verger bought the firm of Lépine, Place des Victoires, from Roux in 1901, and in 1914 he sold the remaining stock to Louis Leroy but kept the trademark, which he registered again in 1917. Verger's sons Georges and Henri became successors of their father in 1911 and settled at 51 rue Sainte Anne under the name of Verger Frères. They were the Paris agent for Vacheron & Constantin. As designers and case-makers, they worked for the finest jewelers of the world, including Boucheron, Mauboussin, Ostertag, Tiffany, La Cloche, Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Gübelin and even Hauser-Zivy y Cia. in Mexico. They employed up to 40 craftsmen in Paris. Some of their models are very original, such as the so-called “Bras en l'air”, made with a figure of the Buddha, a snake charmer or a Mandarin; the famous “radiateur”, often sold as a purse clasp; the “montres à volets” produced for Ostertag, Van Cleef & Arpels, Boucheron, Mauboussin, Gübelin and Tiffany; and the celebrated “Montre Cadenas” specially designed for Van Cleef & Arpels.The revival of the fashion for dials and cases with painted miniatures on ivory panels count among their great successes. They also were the creators of magnificent clocks with dials in pietra dura and of the outstanding mystery clocks which were the pride of Cartier and Vacheron & Constantin in the 1920's and 30's.