Vacheron Constantin

While Vacheron Constantin did not introduce a large quantity of novelties this year, the quality of those few watches is impressive, both on their own terms and in the context of the brand’s entire product catalog. One of my criticisms of the brand was the relative dearth of appealing mid-complications. The undeniable strength of the brand has recently been in basic dress and sport watches and in high-complication masterpieces. The middle range was relatively empty. I now consider that gap filled.

Vacheron Constantin got off to a hot start before SIHH with the announcement last November of the Quai de l’Ile Annual Calendar. The 2460 QRA movement is Vacheron Constantin’s first featuring the annual calendar complication, which automatically corrects for months of less than 31 days with the exception of February, which needs to be manually adjusted forward to March 1. The dial indicates hours, minutes, seconds, month, retrograde date, and moon phase.


The case of the Quai de l’Ile Annual Calendar is a generous 43 mm in diameter. The use of solid dials on this and the other Quai de l’Ile watches will enhance the legibility of the time and calendar reading compared with the first generation models that featured sapphire crystal dials.

Pending the extension of the annual calendar to the other collections such as Patrimony and Malte, Vacheron Constantin would appear to have a rival to Patek Philippe’s signature annual calendar complication.

The addition of a basic perpetual calendar complication is a welcome addition to the Vacheron Constantin’s catalog. Until now Vacheron Constantin had only been producing perpetual calendars either as a skeleton watch or as in combination with other complications. This Patrimony Contemporaine model is comfortably large at 41 mm in diameter.


I also welcome the return of the free sprung Gyromax balance on the 1120 caliber. This brings the movement back to how it was originally conceived.


Vacheron Constantin also added a world time complication to its catalog with the Patrimony Traditionnelle World Time watch. While many collectors automatically link the “Cottier” layout with Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin had also produced a number of Cottier world time watches in the mid-20th Century.


The Patrimony Traditionnelle World Time is unique among world time watches in that in addition to telling time in the 24 standard time zones, it also accounts for those zones, indicated in red print on the dial, where time is offset at either a quarter or half hour from the standard zones. The projected map on the dial has shading that distinguishes day from night. The crown controls both the time setting and zone setting, making the watch easy to use.


Vacheron Constantin now has a full suite of attractive, well designed and executed mid-complication watches in its catalog, capable of competing against the mid-complication watches from Patek Philippe, Breguet, and others. Filling out the catalog from top to bottom with in-house manufacture movements and consolidating the collection along well defined lines (Malte/Patrimony/Quai de l’Ile/etc) has been a long term process, the fruits of which we can enjoy now and for a long time into the future.

Bill

Except for VC.

The PC is 41 mm, the WT is 42, 5 mm, the Quai de l'Ile is 43 mm...

The Perpetual Calendar is ok, to me, but my favourite is te skeleton 39 mm, a piece of Art.

The Quai de L'ile never was my cup of tea, but it may find its fans.

The big big deception is the WT:

Mechanically superior  and smarter than the other WT competitors, without doubt, the case is totally lacking charm and inspiration.

At least 2 mm too big, too thick, too.

There was two possibilities:

1/ Making it in a Patrimony case, like  the Perpetual Calendar skeleton one, thin, correctly sized, with nice proportions, straight lugs.

2/ Making it in a thinner case, with teardrop lugs.

Yes, but you will tell me that maybe such a choice was not possible, due to the movement.

It may well be an explanation.

If so, is the sacrifice worth it?

I mean, what is the real defy with a WT?

The romantism and the charm of the complication, or the technology?

I belong to those who think that a WT is fist of all a charmful complication.

The PP 5110 or 5130 does the job, in my opinion.

The VC is a too technical watch, in my opinion, with a too busy dial, which reflects its complexity.

Too cold, finallly?

This is just my opinion, of course, as tastes are very subjective, and no doubt that others may love it.

Best,

Nicolas.

been really complicated

Hence my interrogation:

What's the best WT?

The more technical, or the Romantic one?



Best, my friend, and very sorry to not have been able to meet you in Geneva, but you know why.

Nicolas.

reasons :-(

Comming back to the VC World Time I actually like it alot, enough to at least sell my 5110 to finance it!

 

your thoughts.

Indeed there was a dearth of appealing mid-complications.

The two new mid-complications have some sophisticated solutions inside and that brings up new issues (at least for me):


(Size is too big for my wrist, but that is only me and my small wrist.)

Compared to the competitors (e.g. PP) I don´t get the price and even when I compare it to the new (very beautiful, by the way ) perpetuals ...









... it would be very hard for me to explain that point.

My second isssue is regarding the "look" of the new world timer:





Again, so many nice solutions, but without "branding" my first guess would be JLC ...

... of course not at the back side ...



... but I would have prefered a more "sophisticated" VC style.

Only my humble and subjective thoughts.

I don´t want to blame and my issues are high-level issues and far from beeing a problem
and so I would like to close with a nice one:



@Bill: Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts and I hope you don´t mind my addition.

Oliver

I wonder, how did the WT feel on your wrist?
How would you compare it to the PP WT?

Interesting what you said about the JLC feeling....

Thanks my friend...

Cheers

You might need to have one...

Your photo of the Geneva Boutique QP also reminds me of how lovely that watch is.

Thanks for posting!

Best,

Gary G

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!

for posting this.....

I also would have preferred for the QDlI to keep its original dial and to be a smaller case...

As for the WT, it seems like a very interesting model, maybe a tad too big but it as to
be tested on the wrist...

I wonder, what is its real price?

Thanks

Cheers