As the least-known of Swiss luxury watchmaking’s “Holy Trinity,” Vacheron Constantin often has to try harder to stand out from its more-ballyhooed peers, Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet. Thankfully, it’s gotten quite good at doing so — after all, it’s not like the brand has stayed in business for 266 years through sheer luck. For its latest head-turning effort, VC has added some modern materials and watchmaking techniques to its Traditionnelle line for a stunning mix of classic and contemporary.
Vacheron Constantin’s Traditionnelle Complete Calendar Openface takes one of the brand’s most traditional timepieces — the 18th century-themed Traditionelle Complete Calendar — and adds a thoroughly-modern open-worked dial that reveals the intricacies of the complication. The three-part sapphire dial consists of a crystal layer with 18K gold indices, a slate grey guilloche upper part, and a slate grey opaline flange. Below the dial, two unique sapphire discs display the day and month, while the highly-detailed moonphase sits behind a clouded sapphire mask. These delicate complications are part of the in-house Calibre 2460 QCL/2 automatic movement, which boasts a triple calendar to go with the aforementioned moonphase. The calibre’s bridges and mainplate have undergone an NAC galvanic surface treatment, resulting in a striking and contemporary anthracite grey finish. The movement is fully visible from the front of the watch as well as the rear through the sapphire exhibition case back.
A stunning new take on a classic watch design, the Traditionnelle Complete Calendar Openface is available now from Vacheron Constantin in 18K white gold or 18K 5N pink gold, with each priced at $47,300.
