Standing quaint and rich in heritage on Beach road since 1952, the NCO club served as a social amenity for Non-Commissioned Officers (NCO) and their families. Despite the conversion of the building to a modern lifestyle location, the historic finishes have been conserved.
I last visited the NCO club in the late 1980s as an enlisted SAF (Singapore Armed Forces) personnel. It was a flood of magnificent memories as I arrived at the venue for the much anticipated official launch of Vacheron Constantin’s retro-modern FIFTYSIX® collection in Singapore.
The NCO Club is an apt choice for Vacheron Constantin – one of the oldest watch making brands in the world (since 1755) – to host over 200 important press and clients exclusively over two days, on the 27th and 28th September 2018.
Guests were treated to masterclasses set in the FIFTYSIX® universe comprising wine appreciation, leather strap-making, personal grooming, DJ music class, 1950s gin appreciation, and a Vinyl bar set-up.
Leather strap-making Masterclass
English singer-songwriter Will Heard, known for his unique blend of jazz, hip-hop and soul, took to the stage for his very first live solo acoustic showcase in Singapore.
Paying tribute to the glorious 1950’s – a time marked by easy to wear and elegantly designed watches – the FIFTYSIX® collection draws reference from the iconic 6073 Maltese cross inspired model launched in 1956.
This watch design expresses and reinforces the creativity of Vacheron Constantin during the 1950s, where the 6073 model was highly distinctive, distinguished by its shape and notably its lugs, each representing a branch of the Maltese cross emblem of the Manufacture. The 6073 was equipped with a self-winding movement at a time when most of the other models were driven by manual winding mechanisms.
All the versions of the FIFTYSIX® collection including those with complications are powered by a self-winding movement, with a new calibre for the three-hand variation, and a transparent caseback to demonstrate the fine movement, finishing and the new oscillating weight – a polished and satin-brushed 22 carats open worked rotor bearing a Maltese Cross applique and a frosted-snailed finish designed for this collection.
The chapter ring consistent for all models, featuring alternate Arabic numerals and baton-type hour markers that complete the 1950s-2018 retro modern personality of the collection.
The new FIFTYSIX® collection is available at all Vacheron Constantin boutiques as well as the Maison’s authorized distributors’ networks.
Related links:
Vacheron Constantin: Retro Modernity of the FIFTYSIX®
Vacheron Constantin: Overseas, the Traveller Collection
