The brand, known for its technical mastery, has introduced new pieces in the collection that harken back to 18th-century haute horlogerie tradition.
Vacheron Constantin’s Traditionelle collection is, as its name implies, an ode to traditional watchmaking. The brand, which traces its history back to 1755 and is the oldest watchmaking maison in continuous operation, is uniquely qualified to craft this collection, which is “imbued with the spirit of 18th-century high watchmaking.” Two of the new models, one in 18k pink gold and the other in 18k white gold, are the first Traditionelle watches in the 36.5-millimeter case size that are not gem-set. A third model crafted of white gold has a diamond-set bezel.
“When we look back through history, we see that the very essence of watchmaking has been the miniaturization of timepieces, from the first clocks created in the 14th century, to pocket watches in the 18th century and ultimately to wristwatches from the late 19th century onwards,” Sandrine Donguy, Vacheron Constantin’s product and innovation director, said. “Ultra-thin movements are one expression of that drive to miniaturization. However, they involve a unique technical conundrum: smaller and finer components are, by their nature, less stable and robust; however, stability and robustness are prerequisites for accurate timekeeping. This makes the creation of ultra-thin movements deceptively challenging, as watchmakers must design components and develop movement architecture that reconcile these conflicting aims as much as possible.”
A Delicate Balance
The brand has set many records over its long history for the world’s thinnest movements. “However, Vacheron Constantin has never been driven to develop the thinnest possible calibres for the sake of breaking records,” Donguy said. “Our approach to ultra-thin watchmaking has always been to balance the design and materials technology of the day with the beauty and values of the 18th-century Genevan Haute Horlogerie that remain at the core of our identity.”
Blue Moon
The new Traditionelle Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin watches have a moon phase display in addition to a perpetual calendar. Vacheron’s in-house self-winding calibre 1120 QP movement powers the watch, which has a power reserve of 40 hours and can be viewed through the timepiece’s sapphire caseback. The watch’s perpetual calendar displays the day of the week, the date and a 48-month display with a leap year indication, as well as the hours and minutes. A moon phase and age of the moon complication are visible through an aperture at 6 o’clock.
Balancing Act
“The emphasis is on balance and legibility, enhanced by the traditional silver-toned opaline background,” according to the brand. “The date, day of the week and month are indicated by hands on three symmetrically placed circular registers that echo the shape of the combined phases and age of the Moon display.” Each watch is equipped with a Mississippiensis alligator leather strap featuring tone-on-tone stitching.
“We believe that the 36.5 mm diameter of the Traditionnelle Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin hits the ‘sweet spot,’ combining real presence on the wrist with a certain level of discretion,” Donguy said. “In fact, the diameter is only 0.5 mm more than the case of the watch that directly inspired it: the Reference 43031, created by the Maison in 1983. Aside from its elegance and ergonomic comfort, the aesthetics of that watch also demonstrated how the complex indications of a perpetual calendar can be displayed on a small dial with no loss of elegance and legibility.” As one would expect, there’s certainly no loss of elegance in the new Traditionelle Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin watches.