Watches and Wonders 2025: Vacheron Constantin bridges past and present with the new Traditionelle watches
The Traditionelle collection exudes a classic allure with its fluted, stepped case, dauphine hands, and minute track, recalling the aesthetics of 18th-century pocket watches. For its 270th anniversary, it has upped the ante, with the introduction of a new ultra-slim calibre as well as three openworked pieces that honour the manufacture’s legacy.
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PURE HEART
The Traditionelle Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar is endowed with the self-winding Calibre 2162 QP/270, based on Calibre 2160 from 2008. Its distinguishing feature is its slim profile, made possible by a periphery rotor. It beats at a leisurely 18,000 vibrations per hour—to better showcase the beauty of the tourbillon spin. The perpetual calendar features a patented secure drive system that enables adjustments both clockwise and counter-clockwise.
The bridges feature 'cote unique' finish, a technqiue that had existed within the maison for over a century but only rediscovered in 2021.
Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle TourbillonPerpetual Calendar in platinum case and a dial with hand-guilloché pattern inspired by the Maltese cross
Calibre 2162 QP/270
Available in a 42mm 950 platinum case, the hand-guilloché dial decoration draws inspiration from the Maltese cross—the emblem of Vacheron Constantin. This is a unique feature that identifies the watch as a 270th-anniversary edition.
See also: Understanding calendar watches
GOOD FACE
Retrograde date display is one of the maison’s most beloved complications. Found on the upper half of the dial, the hand moves along a track numbered from ‘1’ to ‘31’ before it jumps back to ‘1’ at the end of the month.
For its 270th anniversary, this is paired with the Traditionelle Perpetual Calendar Openface and the Traditionelle Tourbillon Openface, with dials in gold and a hand-guilloché pattern inspired by the Maltese cross.
The former features sapphire discs for the day and month, complementing the openworked half of the dial. There is also the moon phase at 6 o’clock, which only requires one correction every 122 years.
Vacheron Constantin Traditionelle Perpetual Calendar Retrograde Date Openface
The gold dial of the Traditionelle Tourbillon Retrograde Date Openface is openworked on the upper half, revealing the movement plate decorated with vertical straightening.
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Vacheron Constantin Traditionelle Tourbillon Retrograde Date Openface
Last but not least is Traditionelle Complete Calendar Openface, featuring day, date, and month indicators as well as a precision moon-phase. There is no retrograde date in this one; instead, the dates are indicated by a blued hand along the periphery of the dial. Complementing the partly openworked dial are the day and month discs in sapphire.
Vacheron Constantin Traditionelle Complete Calendar
As a testament to Vacheron Constantin’s timeless elegance, the new Traditionnelle models refine the maison’s heritage in haute horlogerie with contemporary flair.
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