The New 36.5mm Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin

Vacheron Constantin unveils two new versions of its Traditionnelle Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin in 36.5mm cases, the first to appear without a gem-set case. When it debuted in 2022, the Traditionnelle QP was positioned as a women’s watch, adorned with diamonds and a mother-of-pearl dial. It’s incredible to see the impact that market trends can have on the industry and the speed at which many brands abandon their restrictive his/her classifications to enter neutral, unisex territory. This certainly seems to be the case of the Traditionnelle QP, which now plays it both ways as an attractive compact option for men and women alike. The epitome of elegance, high technical content and discretion, the sophisticated mechanics are powered by the brand’s ultra-thin automatic movement, calibre 1120 QP. Available in white or pink gold cases, the two QP models inherit their classical good looks from Vacheron’s aptly named Traditionnelle family. 

With a history as long and illustrious as Vacheron Constantin’s, the brand can draw upon its rich archive to trace the ancestry of many of its complications, including this ultra-thin perpetual calendar. The sophisticated perpetual calendar, designed to account for the vagaries of the Gregorian calendar, including leap years and months of different lengths, made its debut in 1884 inside a double-faced observatory watch. On the other hand, the Maison’s tradition of ultra-thin calibres also has historical antecedents, dating back to the early 20^th century with ultra-thin pocket watch calibres, culminating in the world-record 0.94mm-thin calibre inside a 1931 platinum pocket watch. In 1955, coinciding with the brand’s bicentenary, wristwatch calibre 1003, with a wafer-thin height of just 1.64mm, smashed the records of the day.

However, the movement that concerns us today, the ultra-thin automatic calibre 1120 QP, debuted in 1983 and was featured inside the famous ref. 43031, a pivotal watch that helped renew interest in complicated watchmaking following the decimation caused by the quartz crisis – this movement is based on the JLC calibre 920, long used by VC (for the 222), Patek (for the Nautilus 3700) and AP (for the Royal Oak 5402). Produced for two decades, ref. 43031 was less than 8mm thick and had a diameter of 36mm, and is considered the spiritual godfather of the Traditionnelle Perpetual Calendar. Inspired by the dimensions of the 43031, the case has a diameter of 36.5mm and a thickness of 8.43mm. The classic round case, straight lugs and slender bezel are polished but keep a low, unostentatious profile.

The traditional silver-toned opaline dial and the layout of the functions are also inspired by the 43031, with three symmetrically arranged sub-dials for the month and leap year at noon, the date at 3 and the day of the week at 9, complemented by a moon phase and age indication at 6 o’clock. Highlighted with snailed interiors, the three sub-dials are indicated by gold hands matching the signature gold faceted Dauphine hour and minute hands and the applied baton markers. Like almost all Traditionnelle models (barring the high jewellery references), the periphery features a black railway-style minutes track.

Unlike some brands engaged in a battle to produce the leanest calibres and take home trophies, Vacheron’s approach to ultra-thin watchmaking is about striking a balance between technology, aesthetics and robustness. Visible on the caseback, Vacheron’s in-house automatic calibre 1120 QP has 276 components and a thickness of just 4.05mm. The movement oscillates at 19,800vph/2.75Hz and delivers a 40-hour power reserve for the hours, minutes, perpetual calendar (date, day, month, leap year) and ages and phases of the moon. Certified by the Hallmark of Geneva, the movement features Côtes de Genève on the bridges and on the openworked rotor, with the brand’s Maltese Cross emblem, and a 22k gold outer segment.

Despite the copious amount of information on the dial, this watch proves that a compact 36.5mm watch can handle complex indications without jeopardising legibility or, for that matter, elegance. An expeditious move on behalf of VC, there was no reason why such a perfectly proportioned, compact watch should remain exclusively in the domain of women’s watches.

The white gold model is paired with a light brown alligator leather strap, while the pink gold has a blue alligator strap, both with matching gold pin buckles. The new Traditionnelle Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin timepieces share a retail price of CHF 86,500.

More information at vacheron-constantin.com.