Vacheron Constantin

Tick Talk
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SIHH Sentiments

While still basking in the warmth of our SIHH experience, it is now time for honest appraisals of this year's novelties.  I'm in agreement with amanico on most points.  The needless growth of case size has created design compromises that verge on looking ridiculous. 

Tiny portholes in casebacks to view undersized movements with vast expanses of dead space between the porthole and case edge, or no display back at all because its too embarassing, are not elegant.  Up front, subdials pinched towards the center due to the fixed pinions of their smallish movements creates an unbalanced, even unnatural, appearance.

With regards to the new, larger QDI, I think a tremendous opportunity was lost to evolve the original and daring design scheme.  The retreat to conventional solid dials is a shame IMHO.  The semi-transparent concept so nicely photoshopped by MGM for the new Annual Calendar was brilliant.  For the House of VC to state "technical difficulties" as justification for not proceeding with this concept is, frankly, shocking.  On top of it, to claim technical reasons for inflating the case size to bulbuous proportions just leaves me shaking my head.  The retrograde date indicator still juts out like a wayward branch, slashing into the hour index.  I really don't know what to expect next of the QDI line...perhaps rubber-clad?

Something has been bothering me about the World Timer also.  Agreed that the technical specifications are ingenious and, at its price-point, makes it attractive enough as it is.  But it seems very flat!  I mean the dial and case presentation lacks sufficient depth to give seperation to its various functions.  Perhaps the globe projection is wasting precious face space, some fonts could have been raised, or contrasting dial finishes?  I'm just left with the impression of a very flat and fussy dial that still takes up a lot of room on the wrist.

Aronde was a wonderful surprise, with the reservation of its movement.  Nevertheless, the trend of vintage inspired pieces continues to be handled best by VC and perhaps, at some point, a shaped movement might make financial sense, just as the calibers 1003/3 and 1120 have done.

Interesting how VC is demonstrating a push-pull tension between the old and new...perhaps being too tentative in either direction!