Vacheron Constantin Unveils North American LE Traditionnelle Day-Date Watch, New Historiques

Vacheron Constantin has been very busy lately. Thus far this year the brand unveiled a totally revamped Overseas Collection, added special new models, including a World Time watch, and now unveils the  Limited Edition Traditionnelle Day Date and Power Reserve watch — being released as a North American exclusive.Even better, the watch is in stores already.  The brand has moved forward with new Historiques models, as well.

The North American Traditionnelle Day-Date and Power Reserve Limited Edition watch features exquisite black guilloche work and is created in a 30-piece collection, with each watch retailing for $45,000.

The watch is powered by the brand’s in-house-made automatic movement, caliber 2475. It offers day, date and central seconds indication, as well as 40 hours of power reserve. The movement features a stop-seconds system to enable precision adjustment of time to the second, and a ceramic ball-bearing system that eliminates the need for lubrication and increases longevity. It holds the coveted Hallmark of Geneva and is  visible via a transparent case back.

Making the watch even more special is the incredible guilloche work on the black dial.  The design is created by a single artisas who works with a hand-turned machine to  perfectly chisel away tiny pieces of the metal dial to form the pattern. The guilloche dial is accented with 18-karat rose gold hands.

In addition to the new Traditionnelle, Vacheron Constantin also unveils three Historiques watches in gold and platinum. The Historiques collection is dedicated to the brand’s rich heritage and consists of  designs that are resurrected from the brand’s 261 years of archives, and then slightly updated to meet today’s standards. The new Vacheron Constantin Historiques models being released are offered for the first time in either gold or platinum. All of the watches bear the Hallmark of Geneva certification.

The Historiques Cornes de vache 1955 watch is now being built in a case crafted in 18-karat 5N rose gold. Heretofore, a rose gold version of this watch did not exist. A legendary watch – the brand’s first water-resistant chronograph — made by Vacheron Constantin more than half a century ago in 1995, inspires the new model. That version (from the 1950’s-‘60’s) was crafted in 18-karat yellow gold with a tachymeter scale and “cow horn” lugs. The movement was protected from magnetism via a soft iron inner dome.

The new Historiques Cornes de Vache 1955, as mentioned, is crafted in 5N rose gold and offers a blend of bold beauty and technical prowess. It features the much-loved cow horn lugs like its forefather, and is equipped with the caliber 1142, with hours, minutes, small seconds and chronograph functions, as well as power reserve to 48 hours. It is further equipped with a column-wheel shaped like the Maltese cross, the brand’s emblem. The beauty of the finishing is visible via a transparent caseback, and the 38.5mm watch is water resistant to 30 meters.

Vacheron Constantin had previously reintroduced the Historiques American 1921 – but never in platinum until now. The Roaring Twenties design is loyal to its origins with offset dial and crown. The silver dial is finely grained and features 12 painted blue Arabic numerals and a black railway minute track. It is finished with blued Breguet-type hands and fitted with a domed sapphire crystal. The 40mm diameter watch is powered by the manual wind caliber 4400 AS in-house made movement with 65 hours of power reserve. Water resistant to 30 meters, it is finished with a dark blue alligator leather strap and platinum buckle. It retails for $44,000.

Also now unveiled in platinum: the  Ultra-Fine 1955 watch, inspired by a 1955 watch created initially in 18-karat yellow gold.  The movement and this watch model (6099) were initially built to celebrate the Vacheron Constantin bicentenary (1755-1955). The new 36mm platinum version houses a movement comprised of 117 parts and measuring just 1.64mm thin. Its 18-karat gold bridges and plate are exceptionally hand crafted and visible through the sapphire caseback. The watch offers 31 hours o power reserve and is one of the thinnest in the world at just 4.13 meters cased. It is water resistant to 30 meters. It retails for $38,500.