Vacheron Constantin

My favorite novelty from SIHH 2013

 

I did not travel to Geneva this year to witness the introduction of Vacheron Constantin’s 2013 novelties, instead waiting  for the novelties to come to me (or at least to enter the country on the carnet case). I traveled down to NY in late April to lunch with some fellow PuristS and collectors before heading up to the boutique to experience in person a selection of the novelties with Hyla Bauer, Vacheron Constantin’s Public Relations Manager.

While the focus of Vacheron Constantin’s 2013 collection is dedicated to women, with gorgeous pieces in the Malte, Patrimony Contemporaine, Patrimony Traditionnelle, and the Metier d'Art Florilege collections, there were a few men's pieces announced that are obviously much more to my taste. The three watches that have captured attention are the 1972 Prestige de la France, the Patrimony Contemporaine Pocket watch in rose gold, and the Patrimony Traditionnelle in platinum with gray dial.

While the 1972 Prestige and Patrimony Pocket Watch are rather specialized products which will be produced in limited numbers, the Patrimony Traditionnelle is a variation on a current classic, introduced in rose gold in 2009, and in white gold the following year, and which sells very well for the brand.

The case is 38 mm in diameter and retains all the design motifs of the Traditionnelle family: the lateral line along the sides of the polished case which continues on to the sculpted lug; knurled case back; Dauphine hands with half polished, half frosted finish; and railroad track minutes along the outer ring of the dial in a different hue from the main dial.

For the past few years Vacheron Constantin has been outfitting gray dials with platinum cased watches, giving them a separate and distinct characteristic from the silver dials that are partnered with white gold watches, something that only aficionados would recognize.


It is a subtle display of high luxury, appealing to those who wish to remain discreet while also being a versatile and fashionable choice for wear.

With this platinum watch, both the movement and the case will be engraved with the Geneva Hallmark, signifying the updated, more stringent requirements that a watch must fulfill to obtain the seal. The beautifully designed and finished Vacheron Constantin calibre 4400, now in production for five years, has also proven to be a reliable workhorse for the brand.


With a retail value of $34,000, I also like the fact that the platinum Patrimony Traditionnelle is the list expensive of the three gentlemen’s novelties this year. I have two questions for the forum:

What’s not to like?

Which one of you is going to be the first to get it?


Bill
VC Forum Moderator