Traditionnelle Tourbillon Retrograde Date Openface 6010T/000R-B638

Vacheron Constantin Goes Retrograde At Watches and Wonders 23

Vacheron Constantin Goes Retrograde At Watches and Wonders 23

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Step into the world of Vacheron Constantin, where the measurement of time has transcended to an art form. The brand debuted several novelties at Watches and Wonders Geneva 2023, leaving us in awe once again. From the masterful Traditionnelle Tourbillon Retrograde Date Openface, to the elegant Patrimony Day-Date Retrograde. Not to mention some very welcome additions to the sporty Overseas collection. Showcasing intricate designs and innovative technology, each piece is a testament to the brand’s commitment to excellence. Whether you’re a seasoned collector or simply appreciate the finer things in life, Vacheron Constantin’s novelties are sure to capture your heart and make you fall in love with time all over again. Sit back, relax, and immerse yourself in the luxurious world of horology with Vacheron Constantin.

Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Tourbillon Retrograde Date Openface 6010T/000R-B638
The Traditionnelle Tourbillon Date Retrograde Openface watch has a retrograde display and partially open-worked dial, signature features of the Maison since the early 20th century.

Traditionnelle Tourbillon Retrograde Date Openface

Vacheron Constantin’s latest piece of haute horology is a fusion of traditional and contemporary styles, featuring a tourbillon with a retrograde date display. The polished 41mm 18k pink gold case has a stepped design complete with fluted case back in the classic Traditionelle style. Immediately drawing the eye is the superbly crafted dial, which features four distinct planes. Running the periphery of the dial is an opaline flange adorned with railway minute track. Next, the upper half of the dial is graced by an arched, hand-guilloché chapter ring in grey. This ring hosts the applied gold hour indices and the date track for the retrograde date. The pointer hand – crafted from 18k blackened gold with a white arrow-shaped tip – traverses the arc over the course of the month before flying back to ‘1’ at the end of its thirty-one day journey. An open-worked area just underneath allows a bird’s eye view of parts of the retrograde mechanism, allowing the wearer to observe it in action. The movement plate it sits on features a modern slate grey surface treatment and is decorated with vertical hand-brushing.

Traditionnelle Tourbillon Retrograde Date Openface 6010T/000R-B638
The watch has an openworked sapphire dial with a guilloché segment that reveals in-house Calibre 2162 R31, featuring a retrograde mechanism plate with a slate grey surface treatment.

The bottom half of the dial meanwhile is dominated by the impressive tourbillon featuring Vacheron’s distinctive Maltese Cross. Completing a full rotation every 60 seconds, it is framed by a seconds track and is visible from both the front and back of the piece. As one would expect from the Maison, the expertly executed finishings of the tourbillon cage are sublime, with hand-bevelled and hand-polished surfaces. If you look closely, you will also note that the bottom half of the movement plate features a different finish to the top half. Like the date display above, it too features hand-guilloché finishing, tying this very elaborate dial nicely together.

Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Tourbillon Retrograde Date Openface 6010T/000R-B638
The Traditionnelle Tourbillon Retrograde Date Openface watch, with Calibre 2162 R31 and a 242-component in-house movement, has the Hallmark of Geneva.

Turning the piece over reveals another stunning view, that of the self-winding, in-house calibre 2162 R31. Boasting Poinçon de Genève certification, it features slate grey bridges treated with a NAC surface treatment. When fully wound the movement offers 72 hours of power reserve. The Traditionelle Tourbillon Retrograde Date Openface comes with a handstitched grey alligator leather strap and a pink gold folding clasp shaped like a half Maltese cross.

 

Vacheron Constantin Patrimony Retrograde Day-Date 4000U/000P-H003
Salmon-coloured dials introduced by Vacheron Constantin in the 1940s pair well with steel and platinum cases, enabling a new level of elegance in wristwatches since the 1930s and are highly sought after by collectors and enthusiasts.

Patrimony Day-Date Retrograde

Already a firm favourite in the collection, the Patrimony Day-Date Retrograde is not a new model as such. However, it has never before been offered in this special metal/dial colour combination. What we have here is a gorgeous 42.5mm round case crafted in platinum and measuring just 9.7mm thick. It’s paired with a slightly domed, salmon-coloured dial with sunburst finish, featuring 18k white gold applied hour markers and hands, as well as an 18k white gold pearl minute track. Although barely perceptible to the naked eye, the white gold hours and minutes hands are slightly curved to follow the shape of the dial.

Vacheron Constantin Patrimony Retrograde Day-Date 4000U/000P-H003
The Traditionnelle tourbillon date retrograde openface watch features retrograde indications made with blued steel hands, while the hours and minutes have 18K white gold hands that are subtly curved to match the domed dial, with a circular-grained peripheral minutes track inspired by the classic 1950s style.

Most striking of all though is the retrograde date and retrograde day displays in a lovely blue that complements the dial perfectly. Likewise, the retrograde day and date hands are blued steel and spear-shaped, with hollow ends. Truly a master class in blending sophisticated style with practical legibility. Inside the case is the in-house self-winding calibre 2460 R31R7/3, which is stamped with the Poinçon de Genève as a testament to its high-level of finishing and precision.

 

Vacheron Constantin Overseas Moon Phase Retrograde Date 4000V/210A-B911
For the first time ever, the Overseas line thus incorporates a retrograde display, a function that is part of Vacheron Constantin’s living heritage and continually reinvents itself.

Overseas Moon Phase Retrograde Date

The third retrograde date watch from Vacheron Constantin this year and perhaps the one that has collectors the most excited, the Overseas Moon Phase Retrograde Date received a very warm welcome at W&W23. Reason being is that despite the collection’s exceptional popularity, its never featured one of Vacheron’s most recognisable complications. That all changes this year with the Retrograde Date indicator proudly arcing across the top half of the translucent blue lacquered dial. Opposing this at six o’clock is a highly accurate moon phase display complete with “age of the moon” indicator that allows you to see at a glance where the moon is in its 29 day, 12 hour, and 45-minute cycle orbiting the earth.

Vacheron Constantin Overseas Moon Phase Retrograde Date 4000V/210A-B911
The Overseas watch offers versatile elegance with a simple and practical strap/bracelet interchangeability system that includes a steel bracelet and two additional straps in calfskin leather and blue rubber.

Taken at face value this seems a logical evolution for Vacheron’s Overseas collection but in reality its execution was anything but. It reportedly took three years of research and development to ensure the in-house Calibre 2460 R31L/2 could fit seamlessly into the Overseas 41mm steel case with its iconic Maltese-cross inspired bezel. Self-winding, the movement provides a 40-hour power reserve and is comprised of 275 components. This model is offered on a matching steel bracelet, along with an additional blue calfskin leather strap with grey stitching and a blue rubber strap.

 

Vacheron Constantin Overseas Self-Winding 4605V/200A-B971
Vacheron Constantin introduces four new models in pink gold and steel, featuring a 35 mm diameter of the gem set versions and 34.5 mm for the non-set models.

Overseas Self-Winding

With its reduced case size, these new 34.5mm versions of the Overseas Self-Winding open the collection up to those with smaller wrists. Or alternatively those who simply prefer a smaller timepiece. Offered in your choice of pink gold or stainless steel, there’s also the option of a gem-set bezel featuring 84 round cut diamonds (available in either metal, the case diameter grows ever so slightly to 35mm). Aside from the smaller dimensions, these versions of the Overseas Self-Winding are visually identical to their larger stablemates and are offered on bracelets matching the metal of the case, along with additional straps in leather and rubber. Thanks to Vacheron’s self-interchangeable system allowing for quick, tool free strap changes, the watch can be personalized according to the owner’s wishes.

Vacheron Constantin Overseas Self-Winding 4600V/200R-B979
The adaptable Overseas self-winding watch includes an integrated metal bracelet and two rubber and calfskin straps, all with interchangeable clasp or buckle, catering to any situation, with a folding clasp on steel models and a pin buckle on gold versions.

 

Book Your Appointment Today

As an authorised retail partner for Vacheron Constantin in Australia, Watches of Switzerland is pleased to present these exceptional new timepieces to our esteemed clientele. For more information and to enquire about the possibility of a private viewing, please contact our Perth boutique today.