Vacheron Constantin surpasses traditional watchmaking technical and aesthetic limits and establishes itself as the master of complications. A history of 268 years in a compendium of essential expression, universal sports language and sophisticated elegance.
Traditional Tourbillon Retrograde Date Openface
The Geneva maison takes the retrograde date display to a level of sophisticated high complication. And it continues to rely on a complex open architecture on the cover. A true revelation of the Maltese cross.
The collection Traditional It is the expression of the purest tradition developed in Geneva fine watchmaking, a legacy of the 18th century. The watches in this Vacheron Constantin collection stand out for their technical aspect, accentuated by the most emblematic watchmaking codes that praise the craftsmanship and savoir-faire passed down from generation to generation.
It embodies that constant creative experience admirably renewed by the house. This new piece is powered by the caliber 2162 R31, an automatic in-house movement that combines the presence of a tourbillon with the retrograde date indication whose slate gray hue, achieved by a NAC surface treatment, is perfectly visible on both sides of the watch. The caliber has a total of 242 components and has a running autonomy of 72 hours - with peripheral oscillating mass made of gold.
All the attributes of the Traditionnelle collection are present in this model: from the case and the round stepped lugs, the fluted caseback, the fine bezel, the railway minute track, the bifaceted Dauphine hands to the baton-type indices made of gold.
A timepiece that is the result of three years of work between artisans and master watchmakers. Stylized in the shape of a Maltese Cross, its tourbillon features a set of refined and complex finishes: the interior of its cage is hand-beveled and its cone-shaped crossbar is also hand-polished to give it a mirror appearance. Heir to References 47245 and 47247 from the beginning of the century, the new model is presented in a rose gold case 41 mm in diameter and only 11.07 mm thick.
The tourbillon with the Maltese Cross design is one of the most stylish anti-gravity devices. Traditional Tourbillon brings 18th century watchmaking up to date thanks to a universal and timeless aesthetic conception. Traditionnelle is the purest expression of the way Vacheron Constantin has understood Geneva fine watchmaking for more than 260 years.
The technical aspect stands out in these watches, accentuated by the most emblematic watchmaking codes. All of them, from the simplest to the most complicated, praise the craftsmanship and watchmaking know-how passed down from generation to generation. Thanks to its round multi-level case, stylized bezel, fluted case back, railway-type minute track, applied batons de Genève indices and Dauphine hands, each of the collection's references perfectly combines creative spirit and technical skill. .
The elegance of Traditional Tourbillon It is due to the thinness of the case, provided by Caliber 2160/1, an ultra-thin self-winding manufactured movement, which has a thickness of only 5.65 millimeters. Its heartbeat has a frequency of 18,000 beats/h. This relatively slow frequency, commonly found in historic pocket watches, offers the opportunity to carefully enjoy the beauty of the tourbillon's hypnotic mechanical ballet. The Maltese Cross-shaped cage, with a small seconds function, uses a screw as an indicator. Its suspension bar has been delicately polished in a completely artisanal operation that requires filing and then polishing the material to obtain a conical and semi-cylindrical shape.
A tribute to the traveling spirit, it houses an ultra-thin skeleton movement just 5.56 millimeters thick and a tour-billon cage inspired by the Maltese Cross. The caliber 2160 is one of the mechanisms with the most interesting antigravity system in recent times. This exceptional caliber, equipped with a 22-carat peripheral oscillating weight that reveals the entire movement through the transparent caseback, has a power reserve of more than 3 days.
Thanks to its clasp and the simple exchange system of its three bracelets – 18K 5N rose gold, leather and rubber – the watch can be personalized according to the owner's wishes. The collection has evolved with new models with ultra-thin fully skeletonized movement.
Vacheron Constantin Overseas Perpetual Calendar Ultra-thin
It is the most sporty collection of the historic Geneva brand. And the epitome of casual elegance that embodies that openness to the world that lies in the legacy of François Constantin. Here the sporty aesthetic shows off with one of the most desired complications. Just 8.10 millimeters thick, it houses an ultra-thin perpetual calendar that will display the correct date until the year 2100. A lunar phase with two golden moons, whose sky blends with the blue tone of the dial, complements the calendar.
Among its perpetual calendar functions, the 48-month counter with leap year indicator, month indication with hand, moon phase, day of the week, minutes, hours and calendar with hand. The watch can be personalized thanks to the simple interchange system of its three bracelets: leather, rubber and 18K 5N rose gold. Through its links, the bracelet subtly reveals the Maltese cross.
When a sport-elegant piece reaches the complication of a perpetual calendar in an ultra-thin suit and rose gold, it means that it has far surpassed its sporty status to become classic. On the back of the case, the compass rose appears, the emblem for this Vacheron Constantin collection.
Vacheron Constantin Overseas Moon Phase and Retrograde Date
We have already seen it with the functionality of the chronograph, perpetual calendar, dual time zone and tourbillon. But this new Overseas is the first watch in the collection with a retrograde indication. An exercise in aesthetic balance to combine the new retrograde function with the lunar phase located at 6 o'clock.
Elegant and sporty, a meeting point between technical sophistication and the search for aesthetic principles. In addition, it adds a revealing poetic touch, as it features two golden moons and a sky full of stars, which only requires an adjustment every 122 years. It maintains its three bracelets with an interchangeable system.
Vacheron Constantin Patrimony Date-Day Retrogrades
The new version of the Vacheron Constantin Patrimony Day-Date Retrogrades in exquisite salmon color and platinum case. It boasts a minimalist and elegant design from the 20s and 30s of the last century reminiscent of Bauhaus. Its dial is slightly convex to play with intense reflections. The retrograde date display is located at the top of the dial and the day of the week is located at the bottom.
As a purist corollary under the 12 o'clock index, the rose gold Maltese Cross in relief with frosted and polished facets, the singular expression for the distinctive combination of platinum case and salmon dial. The Mercator presented in 1994, a model of the Métiers d'Art collection, featured a double retrograde display of hours and minutes.
But it was Don Pancho (Reference 3620) the first watch in the history of Vacheron Constantin with a retrograde date indication. In 1935, Brooking, the firm's official distributor in Madrid, submitted an order for a wristwatch with functions that until then had been reserved for pocket watches with complications: a minute repeater and calendar indications. using a retrograde needle.
Furthermore, it took four years, until 1940, to be able to meet this request and deliver the reference. The watch's name alluded to its owner. A unique piece that fetched 740,000 Swiss francs at Phillips, Bacs & Russo auction in May 2019.
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