Not all images were able to load for printing. Please close the print window and try again. Vacheron Constantin Unveils the New Traditionnelle Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar
A new calibre combining two sophisticated complications and special decorative signatures to celebrate the Maison’s 270th anniversary.
Vacheron Constantin celebrates its grand 270th anniversary this year. For a brand with such an illustrious and storied past, an anniversary of this calibre means rolling out the big guns. To commemorate the date, Vacheron Constantin unveils a new high-end manufacture calibre combining a tourbillon and a perpetual calendar. Limited to 127 pieces and presented in a platinum Traditionnelle case, the complexity of VC’s first automatic tourbillon perpetual calendar calibre is complemented by a refined hand-guilloché dial and other special 270th-anniversary signatures.
The model selected to pay tribute to VC’s longstanding haute horlogerie tradition, dating from 1755, is the Traditionnelle, the brand’s repository of timeless, traditional models. With a diameter of 42mm, the platinum case of the new Traditionnelle has a thickness of 11.1mm, which is impressive given the complications inside. While this is the first automatic-driven tourbillon and perpetual calendar watch, the Maison had previous experience with this combination of complications on the Saint-Gervais reference of 2005 with a manual-winding movement.
As the brand points out, the goal was to host the combinations in the thinnest case possible. For this, they turned to the existing automatic tourbillon calibre 2160 with its thin height of 5.65mm and developed a perpetual calendar module. The result is the new calibre 2162 QP/270, with a thickness of just 6.5mm. Like historical pocket watches, the relatively sedate pace of 2.5Hz allows one to enjoy the tourbillon’s mechanical choreography. Fitted with a peripheral rotor to maintain height at a minimum, the energy delivered to the barrel translates into a 72-hour power reserve.
To highlight its status as an anniversary watch, VC has developed a series of special decorative touches. One is the ‘côte unique’ finish that can be appreciated on the movement’s bridges. Another can be found on the silvery-toned dial, which is embellished with a specific 270th-anniversary hand-guilloché decoration inspired by the Maltese cross. The three discreet sub-dials with blue inscriptions for the month, day and date, and the small round aperture for the leap year, are located above the aperture for the tourbillon with its distinctive open carriage shaped like a Maltese cross. The white gold hour markers are applied to the railway-style minutes track and indicated by the Dauphine-style gold hour and minute hands; the seconds are indicated on the tourbillon.
The Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar is a limited edition of 127 individually numbered pieces. It is paired with a dark blue alligator strap and a platinum folding buckle shaped like a half Maltese cross. At this moment in time, the price is to be confirmed.
More information at Vacheron-Constantin.com.
