MEET THE FAMILY

The cherry topping the collection is the 10-piece limited edition Ultra-thin Grande Complication Chronograph Calibre 3500. The “grand complication” in the name might be slightly misleading, as one would expect additional features such as a minute repeater or a perpetual calendar. Yet, the technical feats within this movement are truly grand, as Vacheron Constantin has engineered the thinnest split-second chronograph in the industry, measuring a svelte 5.2mm thin. Then, there is the Tourbillon Chronograph Calibre 3200, a handwound timepiece with a 65-hour power reserve. But the closest in form and function to the 1928 watch is the Harmony Chronograph Calibre 3300: they are both chronographs with a pulsimeter scale, and ultra-elegant feuille hands. While the dial format remains the same, the updates give the 2015 version a sleeker, more contemporary panache. The Arabic numerals have been rendered in a jaunty blue, as compared to the sombre black, and are taller and slimmer. The small seconds and 45-minute chronograph counters at 3 and 9 o’clock are bigger; they might take up more space on the dial, but the effect is easier on the eyes, and offers a congruous and capacious aesthetic. The hand-finishing, as expected, is sublime, worthy of the haute horlogerie tag affixed to Vacheron Constantin’s endeavours. While the watchmaker intends to make the Harmony a permanent fixture within its family, these exquisite 260-year commemorative pieces are all presented in limited editions, denoted by a fleurisanne engraving that has been rendered on the back.