Vacheron Constantin led off its 2021 novelties this 12 months with new variations of acquainted faces: the renewed Historiques American 1921 in a white gold case, celebrating 100 years for the reason that unique’s launch, together with a trio of Abroad fashions increasing the favored vary with new supplies and issues. Alongside these launches, the Swiss maison had just a few extra very notable watches up its sleeve, just like the one we deal with as we speak, the Traditionnelle Cut up-Seconds Chronograph Extremely-Skinny, which joins Vacheron’s ultra-exclusive Assortment Excéllence Platine.
The brand new restricted version is the newest to deal with the model’s manufacture Caliber 3500, an ultra-thin break up seconds chronograph motion developed for 2015’s Concord Extremely-Skinny Grande Complication Chronograph, during which it debuted. Vacheron Constantin’s revival of the motion comes as a part of an effort to bolster the “Traditional with a Twist” theme that it has adopted for this 12 months’s launches, i.e., highlighting the venerable watchmaker’s “inventive power” whereas additionally celebrating its in depth historical past.
The watch’s 42.5-mm case is manufactured from 950 platinum and has a mirror-grade sprucing all through, sharp edges on its in any other case curled lugs, and a flattened bezel topping it. The watch is simply 10.72 mm thick, justifying its “Extremely-Skinny” moniker, and options rectangular and crown-set pushers for its chronograph features on the suitable facet. It’s secured to the wrist with a blue alligator leather-based strap, with platinum and silk stitching and a platinum buckle within the acquainted half-Maltese cross form.
The dial beneath the sapphire crystal hosts a historically impressed chronograph configuration, one that’s doubtless derived from wartime and postwar-era break up second chronographs produced by Vacheron; in distinction to the Heritage American 1921, nevertheless, the model doesn’t name out any specific heritage mannequin as inspiration on this occasion. The dial, just like the case, is constructed of platinum, although it opts for a sand-blasted moderately tha polished end, all the higher to distinction with the black and polished accents on its floor.
Alongside the dial’s periphery, we uncover a printed tachymetric scale that gives an overview for the utilized, white-gold hour markers. One step nearer to its middle are two indented, parallel subdials for the operating seconds and for 60 elapsed chronograph minutes, one other small subdial at 6 o’clock for the facility reserve indication, and an utilized Maltese Cross, above the classical Vacheron Constantin emblem, at 12 o’clock. On the middle of the dial, two skinny Dauphine arms decide the hours and minutes, whereas two blued arms for the split-seconds chronograph stand on the able to be activated.
For these unfamiliar, a split-seconds chronograph is a uncommon mechanical complication used for measuring two completely different passing durations of time. Within the case of this mannequin, when the crown is pressed, the middle sweep-seconds hand and the split-seconds hand start their measure concurrently whereas remaining superimposed. When the second pusher at 2 o’clock is activated, the split-seconds hand stops, whereas the sweep-seconds hand continues operating, permitting the primary interval to be recorded with out the chronograph stopping totally. Right this moment, when you really must measure split-second occasions you’ll doubtless have a hardy, quartz-powered digital chronograph to help you, however the draw of mechanical luxurious looms massive available in the market, and plenty of collectors will discover this piece of complicated excessive horology very interesting.
Making this split-seconds complication attainable is the aforementioned Vacheron Fixed Caliber 3500, a extremely adorned, lovely motion seen via a sapphire exhibition window within the knurled-edge platinum caseback. The automated caliber, wound by a 22k yellow gold peripheral rotor, is extremely skinny at solely 5.2 mm, ticks at a frequency of 21,600 vph, and holds an influence reserve of 48 hours. Like all actions developed by Vacheron, the 3500 carries its area of origin’s prestigious Hallmark of Geneva stamp.
As alluded to above, the Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Cut up-Seconds Chronograph Extremely-Skinny comes as a part of the model’s Assortment Excellence Platine, a set composed totally of timepieces whose circumstances, dials, and buckles are all solid in 950 platinum. Accordingly, the watch will probably be extraordinarily restricted, to fifteen complete editions, and priced at $288,000.
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