Vacheron Constantin

Vacheron Consatntin's Perpetual Calendar Chronographs

 

Vacheron Constantin has long been considered one of the “Big Three” watchmakers along with Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet. Each brand has been expertly creating timepieces of the highest order for over a century. When I collected vintage watches my tastes in horological appreciation have always been most sated by the models of Vacheron Constantin, which, more so than with Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet, have a flair for the bold, especially in regards to case, lug, and dial design

When it comes to the chronographs I would always choose a Vacheron Constantin 4178 with its tear drop lugs and square button pushers, or the ultra-rare 6087, with its “cornes de vache” lugs, round button pushers, and screwed-down case back over any of the fine designs from the other Big Three watchmakers.

And even when it comes to the calendar watches, I too preferred the designs from Vacheron Constantin (References 4461 and 4240) over the legendary Patek Philippe 3448 and 3450, though I wished that Vacheron Constantin had competed more directly by making a perpetual calendar complication.

There is one complication combination on the vintage side, however, that Patek Philippe has all to itself, the perpetual calendar chronograph. Though extremely rare, models such as the 1518 and 2499 are beautiful, useful, legible, and desirable. I only wished that Vacheron Constantin made them starting in the 1940’s as well.

It wouldn’t be until 2000 that Vacheron Constantin would produce a true competitor with manual winding chronograph and perpetual calendar, but it would be worth the wait! One of the two crown jewels of the new Malte collection, the other being the Malte Tourbillon, the Perpetual Calendar Chronograph represented a triumph of design

The movement is Vacheron Constantin’s workhorse manual winding caliber 1141, based on a Lemania ebauche that also powered the Historiques Chronograph, to which Vacheron  Constantin’s watchmakers added their own calendar module


The case is 39 mm in diameter, and pleasantly chunky at 14 mm thick and was available in either in 3N yellow gold or platinum. A hinged case back offered the owners a wonderful opportunity for a custom engraving and the chance the view the finely finished movement.


In 2007, the Malte Perpetual Calendar Chronograph was updated for a limited run as part of the Excellence Platine collection. The case expanded to 42 mm and the platinum dial was give a sand blasted Finnish. The movement is the same calibre 1141 QP as in the predecessor.


the watch is thinner than the original, and does away with the hinged case back cover.


There were only fifty made.

The focus of Vacheron Constantin at SIHH 2009 was the extension of the Patrimony Traditionnelle line, originally introduced in 2007, with new complications, and among them was a perpetual calendar chronograph, now in a 43 mm case:


True to the times, the yellow gold of the original Malte design has given way to the rose gold case preferred by today’s watch buyers.

Finally, in 2011, the platinum cased watch has been offered with a ruthenium finished dial that distinguishes Vacheron Constantin’s platinum watches from its white gold cousins.

The next step that we collectors anticipate will be the introduction of an entirely in-house chronograph movement with the addition of the perpetual calendar.


Bill Lind
VC Forum Moderator