Devoted to women
Vacheron Constantin heard the request from women for more complex mechanical timepieces and launches the Traditionnelle perpetual calendar ultra-thin and the Patrimony self-winding timepieces
When it comes to creating and understanding the female watch collector, Vacheron Constantin has got the formula right. Ahead of the Watches & Wonders 2022 event in Geneva, the maison gave the media a sneak preview of the Traditionnelle perpetual calendar ultra-thin and the Patrimony self-winding timepieces. These new Traditionnelle and Patrimony models are part of The Anatomy of Beauty theme that celebrates the attention to detail when making these exquisite pieces as well as the meticulous finishing work by the artisans. All the components of a Vacheron Constantin watch benefit from this scrupulous attention, even those that remain invisible once the movement has been assembled.
Turn your gaze towards the fine details such as the guilloché work on the dial or the gem-set minutes track; the contours of the maison’s Maltese cross emblem on the links of a bracelet; the small flame-blued screw serving as a seconds indicator on a tourbillon carriage and the mirror polish of a minute-repeater hammer.
We are enamoured with the piece in the Traditionnelle collection that houses the inhouse Calibre 1120 QP that elegantly plays on the distinctive aspects of the Gregorian calendar. It displays the days, dates, months and years on a four-year cycle, including a leap-year indication, without any need for correction before 2100. This calendar display is complemented by a moon-phase indication at six o’clock. Another distinctive feature of this movement is its thinness: measuring only 4.05mm thick, it is housed in an 8.43mmthick case with a 36.5mm diameter, ensuring perfect visual harmony.
What makes the Calibre 1120 QP so special is that the maison once again taps on its expertise in ultra-thin movements that have set many records when it comes to its thinness since the 1950s. From the clear caseback, the wearer can admire the 276 components with its immaculate finishes such as the circular-grained plate on the dial side, mainplate, and bridges adorned with a Côtes de Genève motif on the back, hand-bevelling, circular satin-finished holes, and a going train with polished teeth. The oscillating weight featuring a 22K gold segment is also adorned with a Côtes de Genève motif and openworked in the shape of the maison’s Maltese cross emblem.
Available in 18K white gold and 18K 5N pink gold versions, it features the strong sense of understatement characterising the collection, embellished with a few special features such as the stepped lugs and case, fluted caseback, as well as Dauphine-type hands flying over a railway minutes track punctuated by baton-type hour-markers. In keeping with the methodical spirit of the time, which held that function should dictate form, this perpetual calendar has been specially designed to make it easy to read the calendar indications, thanks to a slimmed-down bezel offering a larger dial opening.
The dial is adorned with blue-grey tinted mother-of-pearl for the white gold model and white mother-of-pearl for the pink gold model. The moon-phase disc bears the same colours as the dial, while the depiction of the moon and the stars adopts the same shade of gold as the case, complete with an opaline finish. In a final touch of elegance, the bezel and top of the lugs are delicately set with 76 round-cut diamonds while the crown is adorned with a round-cut diamond.
For the first time in the collection, this Traditionnelle perpetual calendar ultra-thin watch is equipped with an interchangeable strap that can be fitted at the touch of a push-button and without any need for tools. Each model comes with an alligator leather strap — grey-blue or rosy beige — secured by a white or pink gold pin buckle set with 17 round-cut diamonds.
Patrimony self-winding
The Patrimony self-winding watch is inspired by a historical 1957 Vacheron Constantin piece with a classic round, ultra-thin style, and timeless elegance. Since its launch in 2004, the proportions of the new Patrimony models have been revisited. The timepiece seduces with the curve of the 36.5mm-diameter case in 18K white gold or 18K 5N pink gold has been redesigned while the crown has been subtly rounded.
The slightly convex dial swept over by leaf-shaped hands following its curves features subtle shades of deep blue for the white gold version and blush pink for the pink gold version. These colours appear in a gradient-effect composition that highlights the depth to the display of the hours, minutes and seconds. The date disc at six o’clock has the same colour as the dial, and in the subtle play of gemsetting on the models.
Each of the two versions features either a bezel set with 72 round-cut diamonds lighting up the circular-grained minutes track or a minutes track itself composed of 48 round-cut diamonds positioned between the applied gold hour-markers. The gemsetting of the minutes track, a complex operation performed on an underlying domed surface, reflects an approach to watchmaking in which every detail is essential to the anato
my of Vacheron Constantin watches.
These new Patrimony watches feature interchangeable straps in night blue or rosy beige alligator leather with an iridescent satin finish. They can be removed and replaced at the touch of a push-button, without any need for tools.
Two centuries of watchmaking for women
This is not the first time that Vacheron Constantin has created timepieces for women, the maison has been doing it for the last two centuries. The maison has observed that women took a very early interest in watchmaking, these often come in the form of objects that would adorn their garments to the very first ladies’ pocket watches made at the turn of the 18th century to elegant contemporary creations of today.
Through Vacheron Constantin’s archives, the evolution of women’s watches can be traced from the origins of ladies’ watches commissioned very early in the history of the manufacture, including a sculpted yellow gold watch with quarter repeater and off-centre small seconds dating from 1838. With the advent of the 20th century, the maison’s feminine creations embody the spirit
of the times, initially inspired by Art Nouveau, then Art Deco with jewellery watches. Cooperating with Vacheron Constantin’s French agent Verger lasted until 1938 and also brought its share of new models dedicated to women — some of which featured cameos inspired by Asian art or Ancient Greece.
From the 1940s, women began wearing watches almost exclusively on the wrist. The geometrical lines of the Art Deco period gave way to more voluptuous shapes. Designed as jewels that tell the time, “secret” watches with covers concealing the display of time were particularly popular at the time and Vacheron Constantin displayed skills to create such designs.
In the wake of the excessive 1970s, Vacheron Constantin experimented with new, uninhibited shapes for ladies’ watches before adopting the sportier lines of the Overseas range dedicated to the contemporary woman. In addition, the Traditionnelle and Patrimony collections were designed to convey the technical sophistication and aesthetic refinement for women. This approach was seen in the launch of the Égérie watches: inspired by Haute Couture.