Goldarth's Review

One of the world's oldest and most venerated watch brands, Geneva-based Vacheron Constantin has a number of elegant watch lines that keep alive its watchmaking traditions. The 2007 debuts include new complications in its Patrimony range, including a tourbillon perpetual calendar, as well as a skeletonized perpetual calendar.



The Patrimony Traditionelle “Calibre 2755” (above) from Vacheron Constantin took over three years to create, and is the worthy offspring of the 250-year old company's quarter-millennium gift to itself, the now-legendary Tour de l'Ile wristwatch of 2005. Three grand complications reside within the Calibre 2755's pink gold case: a minute repeater, a perpetual calendar, and a tourbillon. This has resulted in an incredible 602 component parts beating away with sheer precision inside it at 18,000 vibrations per hour. The manual-winding movement has a 58-hour power reserve. Because of the huge number of work that goes into each example, the 44 mm diameter watch is only available in severely limited quantities.





The new Patrimony Traditionelle Skeleton Perpetual Calendar (above) highlights the superb attention to detail paid to movement finishing in this complicated timepiece. The Art Nouveau-style engraving was inspired by the Eiffel Tower, while both the dial and transparent case back give great views of the not-inconsiderable handiwork that went into producing the watch. A perpetual calendar grand complication and a moon phase indicator mark this out as a specialty in the Vacheron Constantin stable.





A new Patrimony Traditionelle Self-Winding (above) has appeared, in a Vacheron Constantin tribute to the models it made in the 1930s till the 50s. Pure and balanced in proportion, the watch has a classic look to it with a 38 mm case, a separate seconds subdial, and a date window at the 3 o'clock position. The simplicity of the dial is offset by the intricate finish of the movement, seen through the transparent case back.



The Patrimony Contemporaine Automatique now comes in a pink gold variant (above), with the word “automatic” removed from the dial for added elegance.



Finally, in a real departure from the Vacheron aesthetic, the Métiers d'Art “Les Masques” collection (above) is a surprising new addition to the brand's portfolio. Taking a fresh approach to watchmaking, Vacheron Constantin have developed a new way of telling time in the form of the Calibre 2460G4 movement which displays the time on four discs rotating under four windows in the dial. This allows the prominent, multi-ethnic masks – selected from the Barbier-Mueller museum collection – to be displayed proudly in the center of the dial. There are four versions of the watch: Mask China in yellow gold, Mask Alaska in white gold, Mask Congo in platinum, and Mask Indonesia in pink gold. Limited to just 25 box sets of all four watches, the Métiers d'Art “Les Masques” collection is a bold new design, with eight new, limited designs to follow soon.