Vacheron Constantin marries artistry and high watchmaking in
its latest timepieces, which exemplify the very best in complications and
craftsmanship.
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The rounding of the tourbillon bridge along requires 11 hours of hand craftsmanship |
As mechanical watch complications go, the tourbillon
occupies a class all its own. Unlike traditional complications — devices that perform a function other than straight timekeeping — the tourbillon (French for “whirlwind”) does not mark the passage of time. Rather, the revolving mechanism was designed during the era
of pocket watches, which would often sit for hours in the same vertical
position. The spinning cage of the tourbillon helped counteract the effects of
gravity on the watch, thereby improving its accuracy.
Today, watchmakers are finding innovative ways to adapt this
vintage technology to wristwatches, earning high praise from connoisseurs who
revere the newest tourbillons as marvels of contemporary horology. Complex and
fascinating, these next-gen tourbillons are also exceedingly intricate —
explaining why they are often called feature has earned the nickname “the king of complications.”
Gone With The Whirlwind
Gone With The Whirlwind
Vacheron Constantin ups the ante with its Traditionnelle 14-day Tourbillon, which
boasts a remarkable 14-day power reserve. Sheathed in a 42mm rose gold case,
the model — also available in a sleek platinum version and a new daring
openworked model — is a powerhouse of endurance. The longevity is made possible
by the inclusion of four barrels mounted in coupled pairs. Yet the watch’s most
obvious characteristic is its elegantly understated styling: a slender bezel;
rose gold dauphine hands; and a
simple, opaline silver-toned dial with a power reserve indicator up top and the
tourbillon down below.
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The Traditionnelle 14-day Tourbillon in platinum |
Like nearly all Vacheron Constantin timepieces, the
Traditionnelle 14-day Tourbillon bears the prestigious Hallmark of Geneva, a
third-party certification that guarantees the origin, quality, craftsmanship
and reliability of timepieces crafted within the borders of Canton Geneva.
Although the Poinçon de Genève was
instated in 1886, the certification process was overhauled in 2012. Now, the mark guarantees the
quality of the watch as a whole rather than solely applying to the movement.
Intelligent Use Of Space
Another example of high watchmaking, the Traditionnelle Perpetual Calendar
Openworked, takes a familiar complication — the perpetual calendar — and
pulls back the curtain, as it were, on the marvelous complexity required to
accomplish this feat of timekeeping. The openworked dial, which borrows its
aesthetic from the lines and shapes of the Eiffel Tower, reflects a Vacheron Constantin
tradition that dates back to 1755, when founder Jean-Marc Vacheron created a watch
featuring an openworked movement andan engraved balance cock.
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The openworked dial highlights the perpetual calendar movement's complexity |
Over the ensuing years, the maison continued to emphasize transparency in the creation of its
timepieces. In 1924, Vacheron Constantin produced its first entirely openworked
caliber for a pocket watch. Since then, the house has earned a reputation for
its skill in openwork, which requires a great degree of engraving expertise and
a keen understanding of proportions.
Prior to beginning the design of an openworked model,
Vacheron’s watchmakers and engineers devote hundreds of hours to
conceptualizing the caliber to determine how much material can be hollowed out
without compromising the integrity of the timekeeping mechanism. Next come the
artisans. Lauded for their dexterity, they work each movement by hand to create
polished and matte surfaces on the metal plates.
Some have curves and interior angles narrower than 45
degrees, which means only the nimblest of human hands can manipulate them.
Once the chamfering and hand-drawing are complete, it’s time
to engrave the caliber. The meticulous process, which takes a full week, involves
the use of a burin to gently incise and sculpt the motifs. The precision required
to finish an entire caliber, which can include motifs that need to be engraved down
to the nearest tenth of a millimeter, is beyond the capability of all but the
most skilled artisans — all of which is evident with one look at the
Traditionnelle Perpetual Calendar Openworked.
Great Wide Open
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Malte Tourbillon Openworked |
The same rigorous process applies to the Malte Tourbillon Openworked, a
tonneau-shaped watch that traces its name to an early Jean-Marc Vacheron
creation that contained a part shaped like a Maltese cross. The part went on to
become a signature feature of the maison’s
movements, and explains why the Maltese cross is a key element of the
company’s logo. Today, all of the tonneau
(French for “barrel”) watches in the Vacheron Constantin collection fall under
the Malte designation.
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A close-up view of the engraved movement from behind |
Boasting a tourbillon caged inside an openworked movement,
this exceptional model is the product of more than 500 hours of work, from
conceptualization to modeling to design. To complement the geometric shape of
the watch, Vacheron’s artisans came up with an architectural motif based on the
shape of the triangle. Found throughout the caliber, the tiny triangles’
straight lines lend the piece a distinct sense of volume. A combination of
light and shadow underscores the airiness of the timepiece, which comes encased
in platinum and, like all of Vacheron’s complicated watches, bears the
prestigious Hallmark of Geneva.
Travel In Style
The pinnacle of the firm’s openworked novelties this year is
the Métiers d’Art Mécaniques Ajourées collection.
The watches in this series take their inspiration from the grand railways of
19th century Europe and the golden age of travel that they epitomize. Together,
they represent the apogee of Vacheron Constantin’s watchmaking skills: a perfect
blend of the engraver’s art, the horologist’s science and the enameler’s craft.
The Mécaniques Ajourées’ three-dimensional, light-filled
architecture is the result of weeks of painstaking work, many spent using a
tiny handsaw known as a bocfil to
shave down the surface of the mainplate and bridges. The artistry, however,
doesn’t end there. The circular ring that surrounds the movement features grand feu enameling in three distinct
versions: blue, gray or black. The latter is among the most challenging shades
to achieve using the age-old and extremely delicate process of grand feu. There is also a high-jewelry
version that glistens with 54 baguette-cut diamonds on the bezel and clasp.
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Three versions of the Métiers d’Art Mécaniques Ajourées |
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