A long talk about the 2020 novelties of one of the most respected and oldest Geneva's manufacturers.

 

Coronavirus hit the main world watch and jewelry exhibitions — the Geneva international salon Watch&Wonders and the largest and the most luxurious show BaselWorlds. Even though they were expected to be canceled, most of the brands were so not ready for such a turn of events that they cannot present any novelties for over three months already.

 

Brands of Richemont Luxury Group honestly tried to make live online presentations during the days of W&W. Still, it was quite difficult to watch: the streams were often lagging, the sound could not handle the traffic, and it was either outpacing the image or disappearing completely… Looking at it, many of the brands decided not only to abandon live presentations, but they also did not present the novelties on their websites as they usually do. Perhaps they are still thinking about how to name the website with their novelties: they have already argued with BaselWorld at home and have not yet decided on merging with Watch&Wonders? However, it is more likely that there is nothing to present so far for some, and others simply do not know how to do it. While they are still waiting and trying to learn, let us talk about one brand that successfully dealt with the unexpected challenge.

 

It is quite natural that the Richemont Group's leading brand dealt with the sudden challenge better than the rest — the famous Parisian Cartier and one of the oldest and most renowned watch brands, Vacheron Constantin. From the watchpoint of view, the lineup of the latter is the particularly impressive one.

 

Vacheron Constantin updated all of its collections — the flagman Patrimony with Traditionnelle, the collectible Les Cabinotiers, the universally-sport Overseas, the newest Fiftysix, the ladies' Egerie, and the aesthetic Metiers d'Art. Compared to their competitors with only two-three novelties, this was impressive. The only Swiss brand not stopping its manufacturing since 1755 let its followers know that various pandemics and world economies collapses are temporary, while the real watch art is permanent.

 

Music of time

 

The watch of the year from Vacheron Constantin became two unique models produced within the line La Musique du Temps by their atelier (although the people working for the brand prefer to call it their "studio") Les Cabinotiers. Made initially for producing unique models at the request of the clients (think about the Vladimir Tourbillon), it is continuing to specialize in piece unique watches.

 

It's not easy to tell right away which model is more complicated and more critical — Tempo or Ode to Music. Therefore, let us begin with the minute repeater with a perpetual calendar, tourbillon, and a split-chronograph Vacheron Constantin La Musique du Temps Les Cabinotiers Grand Complication Split-Seconds Chronograph Tempo, since it is closer to reality.

 

This one-of-a-kind double-sided timepiece displays the chronograph hours and measurements on the front, along with a perpetual calendar, while the back is dedicated to astronomical functions.

 

On the main dial, there are the indicators of the current time and calendar: the indicator of hours and minutes (an additional dial near "10 o'clock"), a 60-minutes counter of the split-chronograph (in the position "2 o'clock"), the date and days of the week ("8 o'clock"), months and years ("4 o'clock"). On the main axis, there are second hand as well as the split-hand of the chronograph.

 

 

This one-of-a-kind double-sided timepiece has 24 complications

 

On the case back is the tourbillon (one of its bridges marked by a scale for identifying the power reserve), indications of solar time, equation of time, sunrise and sunset, day and night duration, and age phase of the moon. This watch featuring a tourbillon regulator is also equipped with a minute repeater—a total of 24 perfectly legible complications.

 

Because the system responsible for the revolutions and the fixation of the watch capsule reminds the one that is used in Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime (currently the most expensive wristwatch, sold at the auction Only Watch last year for 31 million francs), some called Tempo an answer to the owners of Patek Philippe, Philip, and Thierry Stern. Nonsense. These are watches that are not alike.

 

The caliber 2756 with a 33.3 mm diameter and a 16.35 mm height, consists of 1163 components and has a rational design. On the frontal plate, the modules of time and calendar are located, while on the backside, there are the other modules, including the tourbillon and minute repeater. Its balance is working with an unusual frequency of 18 800 beats/hour, and a power reserve of 65 hours. The split-chronograph has two column wheels and is essentially a monopoussoir (it has only one button). The centrifuge of the minute repeater is, of course, rotating without any sound. A separate mention is worth the fact that caliber 2756 is produced and decorated at the highest quality standards and is marked with the Geneva Seal. Tempo has a rose-gold case with a diameter of 50 mm and a height of 21 mm.

 

Not displaying at least an estimated price, the brand accepts various offers from collectors, making a sort of an auction. The estimate is quite broad — 2-3 million francs.

 

The music of the sky

 

The second blockbuster (19 complications totally) from Vacheron Constantin is called Les Cabinotiers Astronomical Striking Grand Complication Ode to Music, which was also produced with a limit of one piece currently unofficially exhibited for sale.

 

This double-sided minute repeater model displays solar, sidereal, and civil time complete with a perpetual calendar.

 

 

In this case, somebody can say that this watch has a specific predecessor — the Vacheron Constantin Les Cabinotiers Celestia Astronomical Grand Complication 3600, introduced three years beforehand. This sounding Celestia (even though the repeater module forced the creators to make the luxurious record moon calendar more straightforward, functioning as a tide level indicator). Besides, in the newest model, months' astronomical sidereal indicator is located on the back dial. It is essentially a transparent sapphire disk with golden marks on it, spinning along the fixed scale of months, going along the dial's flange.

 

 

Curiously enough, the primary mechanism was not the one that was used three years before the in Celestia. Instead, it was a new one, introduced in 2013 ultra-thin (the height is only 3.9 mm) caliber 1731 — the minute repeater Patrimony Contemporaine Calibre 1731 Minute Repeater. Thus, after all sorts of calendars modules were installed on it, it received the name caliber 1731M820 — the dimensions of 36 x 7.84 mm, with the frequency of 21 600 beats/hour, with the power reserve of 60 hours, and with 600 components. Pay attention to the height of the caliber! Firstly, Celestia's height was 8.7 mm, while now even with a minute repeater, it is less than 8 mm. Secondly, it is even thinner than the usual mechanism with a chronograph, for example, ETA/Valjoux 7750. As a result, the body's dimensions made from red gold are almost record 45 x 12.45 mm. Therefore, wearing Ode to Music is even more comfortable than the Tempo.

 

 

If the height of Celestia was 8.7 mm, while now even with a minute repeater, Ode to Music's height is less than 8 mm

Non-traditional Tourbillons

 

Talking about the "civil" lineup, the primary model of it is Traditionnelle Tourbillon Chronograph Grand Complication —  the one among the most complicated and rarest watches. The combination of a tourbillon (the module compensating the impact of gravity on the precision of the rate of the clock) and a chronograph is considered a classical one because it is not only popular today, but it was a popular one and a half centuries ago. Traditionnelle Tourbillon Chronograph is especially impressive for collectors due to the rarest manufactured caliber 3200 used in it. It was created in 2005 when the brand was celebrating its 250th anniversary and was installed in anniversary watches only. Nevertheless, this time, the creators devised a novel movement mode for the tourbillions carriage. So that it was open to the view from both sides of the case, it was not only moved from "6 o'clock" to "12 o'clock," but its homer system was altered as well. Previously, the carriage made in the form of the brand's logo — the Maltese cross — as usual, was forced to move by the pinion of the second wheel; now, it sets in motion by an intermediate wheel of the running seconds' display. This is what allowed to make a wide opening on the upper platinum to display the tourbillon's beauty.

 

Take note that in this watch the carriage of the tourbillon is located near "12 o'clock." It would wrong to say that this was never seen before, but if Vacheron Constantin itself demands this to be the location, it can quickly become a popular trend.

 

The module also has an indicator of power reserve at "6 o'clock" and a 45-minute counter of the chronograph near "3 o'clock." The chronograph is made in a traditional style of monopoussoir (with one button): to begin the counting of a specific time interval, to stop it, and to nullify the reading, it is needed to press on the button that is integrated into the crown three times.

 

The excellent mechanism 3200 consists of 292 components, has manual winding (so that the rotor would not block the gorgeous design of the caliber made according to the highest standards of watch quality), a classical for pocket watches frequency of the balance of 18 000 beats per hour and a 65-hours power reserve.

 

The rose-gold body of the watch (with a diameter of 42.5 mm and a height of only 11.7 mm) and the Etagé lugs, the fluted back cover, the minute scale in the "railroad" style, hour and minute hands of the type of "dauphin" — all of these are well-known codes of the collection Traditionelle. The dial is also completed with a tachometric scale.

 

 

The first tourbillon for ladies

 

Vacheron Constantin has introduced its first ladies' automatic watch with a tourbillon Traditionnelle Tourbillon[A1] , remarkably, in two versions. The case of both models has a stepped profile, an elegantly thin bezel, a diameter of 39 mm (with a height of 11.2 mm), and it is made from either rose or white gold. The bezel and the lugs are inlaid with 208 diamonds, while in the white gold version, the dial and the baguette are also inlaid with diamonds (all in all, this version has 559 stones with the overall weight of more than 6.5 carats).

 

In these models, the newest manufactured automatic mechanism 2160, is installed. The mechanism has a peripheral rotor (so that nothing would block the beautiful finishing of the caliber from view), with a frequency of the balance of 18 800 beats per hour and the reserve power of 80 hours. The carriage of the tourbillon is shaped in the form of the Maltese cross and is located traditionally — near "6 o'clock."