Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Openface Models
Vacheron Constantin has a long history of creating openworked watches dating back all the way to 1918. Building upon that heritage, the maison is launching three special, complicated openworked models in time for its 270th anniversary within the Traditionelle collection, beginning with the Traditionnelle Retrograde Date Openface.
Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Retrograde Date Openface
Measuring 41mm in platinum, its case features stepped lugs, a fluted caseback, and a slender bezel, while the dial boasts a chemin de fer minute track, dauphine hands, and a partially openworked dial in 18K gold with hand-guilloché and a movement plate decorated with vertical straightening.
Set within the upper dial, a retrograde date display in blue and silver is paired to an arrow-tipped blue hand, while the time is indicated normally by a set of dauphine hands against applied hour indices on the dial periphery. Below this, the tourbillon—which takes on the aspect of a Maltese Cross, the maison’s signature—revolves courtesy of the self-winding Calibre 2162 R31/270, a 6.35mm-thick in-house movement with a 72-hour power reserve and 242 components. A limited edition of 370 pieces, the Traditionnelle Retrograde Date Openface encompasses much of what makes Vacheron Constantin a titan of haute horlogerie.
Case Size: 41 mm
Case Material: Platinum
Power Reserve: 72 hours
Strap: Dark blue alligator leather
Price: TBD
Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Perpetual Calendar Retrograde Date Openface
The second of three new openworked models within the Traditionnelle collection, the Traditionnelle Perpetual Calendar Retrograde Date Openface is housed, like the Retrograde Date Openface, in a handsome 41mm platinum case with alternating brushed and polished finishes. A brand-new caliber powers its remarkable dial, which marries openworked and hand-guilloché surfaces with a plethora of indications to excellent effect and without crowding. Transparent month and day discs at 9 and 3 o’clock, respectively, offer calendar information complemented by a retrograde date display along the dial periphery and indicated by a half-moon-tipped blue hand. Meanwhile, a hyper-accurate display above 6 o’clock keeps track of the moon’s phases.
Measuring 41mm x 10.94mm thick, the Traditionnelle Perpetual Calendar Retrograde Date Openface is powered by the new Calibre 2460 QPR31/270, an automatic, in-house movement with a 4 Hz beat rate and a 40-hour power reserve. A peripheral rotor gives it a thin profile of just 5.45mm, while its “Côte unique” finish and 270th-anniversary signature emblem are visible via a sapphire caseback. If kept wound, the perpetual calendar will not require manual adjustment until the year 2100—though 30m of water resistance and a blue alligator leather strap mean you’ll probably want to remove it before a dip in the pool.
Case Size: 41mm
Case Material: Platinum
Power Reserve: 40 hours
Strap: Dark blue alligator leather
Price: TBD
Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Complete Calendar Openface
The third and final member of the new Traditionnelle trifecta is the Complete Calendar Openface. While not quite as complicated as its Perpetual Calendar cousin, it will nevertheless track the days, months, date, and phase of the Moon via the manufacture Calibre 2460 QCL/270, an automatic movement comprising 312 components. A partially openworked dial with a hand-guilloché white gold Maltese cross motif reveals a movement plate decorated with vertical straightening. A retrograde date indicator, displayed in an arc on the dial’s upper half, is joined by day and month discs at 9 o’clock and 3 o’clock, respectively, as well as a moon phase indicator above 6 o’clock and a leap year indicator between 4 and 5 o’clock.
Case Size: 41mm
Case Material: Platinum
Power Reserve: 40 hours
Strap: Dark blue alligator leather
Price: TBD
Credit: robbreport.com
