Six years ago, Vacheron Constantin introduced its first self-winding tourbillon movement in two versions in the Traditionnelle collection. In the years since, the 41-mm watch with an open carriage shaped like a Maltese cross has quickly become a symbol of how the 268-year-old Maison manages to “balance tradition and modern aesthetics”. Read in depth about the watches introduced in the brand’s Traditionnelle collection.
Founded in 1755, Vacheron Constantin is considered the world’s oldest watch Manufacture in continuous production. In the last several years, this production has been carefully brought into the present, perfectly symbolised, for example, by the contemporary manufacture building in Plan‑les-Ouates in Geneva that has brought management, administration, and the workshops under one roof in 2004. The same goes for the watches made there: On the one hand, today’s Vacheron Constantin is mastering all the traditional crafts, like guilloché, enamelling, engraving, and restoration. On the other hand, the watchmakers constantly challenge themselves to find modern technical solutions that serve the brand’s standards of aesthetics for which it has become known.
For Christian Selmoni, Director of Style and Heritage at Vacheron, the Traditionnelle collection embodies “the full measure of Vacheron Constantin’s watch-making legitimacy.” To him, the collection “conveys both history and tradition through precise stylistic codes corresponding to an aesthetic that remains timeless however complex the mechanisms.” With the iteration, introduced during Watches and Wonders 2023, Vacheron Constantin has added a green dial to the collection that is framed by a 950 platinum case to further “pursue its contemporary vision of the classical approach to design.”
The comparatively thin case (10.4mm) of the 6000T/000P-H025 is made possible by Vacheron’s ultra-thin self-winding Calibre 2160/1, measuring only 5.65-mm thick. The Maison’s first self-winding tourbillon movement premiered in 2018 and has been set to a frequency of 18,000 vibrations per hour (2.5Hz), a relatively slow pace that is often found in historical pocket watches. The winding system, however, is state of the art: Its 22K gold peripheral rotor not only reduces the thickness of the calibre, it also ensures an efficient build-up of the movement’s impressive 80-hour power reserve (when compared to a micro rotor). In addition, there is no central rotor obstructing the view: The owner can fully observe the peripheral winding ring transmitting energy to the intermediate wheels, and even watch the ‘Magic Lever’-style, pawl-based bidirectional winding system in action. With a diameter of 31mm, the automatic movement required a slightly more dominant case in 41mm, here crafted in platinum and therefore bringing the weight to 127 grams.
The movement finishing consists of a circular-grained base plate appearing on the dial side and hand-bevelled bridges adorned with Côtes de Genève on the caseback. In addition, there are multiple interior angles, which are more difficult to finish and fully display a watchmaker’s mastery of technique. The tourbillon with its Maltese cross-shaped carriage demonstrates the same attention to detail. Its suspension bar has been polished in an entirely hand-crafted operation consisting of filing and then polishing the material to obtain a conical and semi-cylindrical shape. In addition, it is also serving as the indicator for the seconds. Combined with the Maltese cross on its carriage, a symbol used by Vacheron since 1880, the Traditionnelle therefore becomes a fitting stage for what is often seen as the most established complication for modern luxury watches.
Also Read: Vacheron Constantin unveils a new vintage-inspired Patrimony on the collection’s 20th anniversary
Avant-garde Aesthetic
Even more progressive is the brand’s Traditionnelle 6010T/000R-B638 with retrograde date display that was launched simultaneously in Geneva. Like the Traditionnelle Tourbillon, it is equipped with a stepped round case and lugs, a fluted caseback, a slim bezel, a railway minute track, bifaceted Dauphine hands, and gold baton-type hour markers — characteristic attributes of the Traditionnelle collection and rooted in Geneva’s grand High Watchmaking traditions. But there is, obviously, more: Heir to the References 47245 and 47247 from the early aughts, the Traditionnelle Tourbillon Date Retrograde Open Face combines its retrograde display with a partially openworked dial, which also has a guilloché segment. It reveals the in-house Calibre 2162 R31, whose retrograde mechanism plate is highlighted by a slate grey surface treatment, achieved by a succession of thin galvanic layers, called NAC. Three years of research and development by STS Saulcy Traitement de Surface, in collaboration with the University of Franche-Comté, have led to the development of this new decorative coating as an alternative to rhodium. Mainly intended for movement decoration, it lends a deep black polishing appearance to the surfaces it covers. It is non-magnetic, compliant with REACH and RoHS as well as ISO 2819 and NIHS 96-50 standards, and has been patented.
The movement finish is further enhanced by vertical hand-brushing on the upper part, its surface having been smoothed with a dedicated abrasive serving to create subtle light effects, as well as a hand-guilloché lower part. The retrograde date display, complemented by a tourbillon at 6 o’clock, thus gains added depth in an ultra-contemporary style. “This calibre exudes a palpable tension between High Watchmaking traditions and the permanent need to innovate,” notes Selmoni. He’s convinced it will “make a lasting mark on its time.”
Beating at 18,000 vibrations per hour and measuring just 6.25-mm thick (with 54 more parts than the 2160/1), Calibre 2162 R31 combines its retrograde date also with a tourbillon. This unconventional match is embodied in a technical geometry that makes the retrograde mechanism visible to the naked eye through the openworked dial. And it is just as unconventional as the use of an engraved base plate as a dial element.
This article previously appeared in WatchTime India Oct-Dec 2023 issue
Images: Courtesy brand
Also Read :
Bulgari creates a new Octo Finissimo with French artist Laurent Grasso
|
Breguet unveils Marine Tourbillon Equation Marchante 5887 in platinum
More In review
Sign up for our newsletters to have the latest stories delivered to your inbox
