Pre-SIHH 2017: Traditionnelle minute repeater tourbillon

Pre-SIHH 2017: Traditionnelle minute repeater tourbillon

In preview mode ahead of the SIHH 2017, Vacheron Constantin is unveiling the Traditionnelle minute repeater tourbillon, an exceptional striking watch. This finely crafted model is enriching the Traditionnelle line, dedicated to a supremely demanding exercise of the watchmaking art inherited from the finest 18th century traditions.

Its original Manufacture movement – Caliber 2755 TMR – combines two major horological complications: the minute repeater and the tourbillon. This exclusive timepiece comes in a choice of pink gold and platinum versions. Certified by the prestigious Hallmark of Geneva, the Traditionnelle minute repeater tourbillon meets the highest standards criteria of craftsmanship and reliability.

The Traditionnelle minute repeater tourbillon reflects the technical and aesthetic sophistication pervading every Vacheron Constantin model. It testifies to the rich watchmaking history of the Manufacture, which has pursued its activities uninterrupted since 1755. Its new caliber, entirely developed and produced by Vacheron Constantin, combines two of the most demanding complications. The prestigious and complex tourbillon serves to compensate for the effects of gravity and thereby enhances the precision of the watch. The minute repeater also testifies to consummate mastery of the watchmaking art and remains one of the most sought-after complications. On demand and at a press on a single pusher, the gongs of the mechanism chime the hours, quarters and minutes. In addition to mastering the technical complexity of this complication, watchmakers must also have an excellent musical ear in order to adjust the gongs as one would an instrument. By uniting these two complications within a single caliber, Vacheron Constantin is accomplishing a remarkable technical feat and paying tribute to traditional hand- crafted watchmaking expertise passed on from generation to generation.

A dial with a unique guilloché pattern

Striking the perfect chord between technical and aesthetic considerations, the Traditionnelle minute repeater tourbillon highlights the expertise of the Manufacture in crafting exceptional timepieces. The dial comes in slate grey or silver-toned variations on the platinum models; and is silver-toned for the pink gold version. It is graved with a refined hand-guilloché motif reserved for timepieces exclusively available from Vacheron Constantin boutiques. This unique pattern reflects the inventiveness of the Maison and its mastery of guilloché work – a delicate traditional skill applied to watchmaking from the 18th century onwards.

The hours and minutes hands, made of pink or white gold depending on the versions, are slightly offset towards the upper section of the dial, so as to provide more space for the tourbillon carriage appearing in the lower half. The 6 o’clock opening provides a chance to admire the stately dance of the tourbillon, which is all the more entrancing in that the caliber beats at the low frequency of 2.5 Hz, a speed characteristic of traditional watchmaking and providing an opportunity to appreciate the rhythm of its pulsations to the full. Fashioned in the shape of Vacheron Constantin’s Maltese cross emblem, the tourbillon carriage features a hand-polished bar that in itself required around 11 hours of meticulous workmanship.

An original in-house 2755 TMR movement

The Traditionnelle minute repeater tourbillon is driven by the new Caliber 2755 TMR; designed, developed and produced by Vacheron Constantin. This hand-wound movement bears the Hallmark of Geneva and features an exceptional level of chronometric and aesthetic quality. Combining a minute repeater mechanism striking on demand with a tourbillon, it displays the hours and minutes as well as small seconds on the tourbillon carriage. The 58-hour power-reserve indication – with its pink gold pointer whose colour is achieved by a black oxide process – is unusually placed on the back of the watch rather than on the dial. The sapphire crystal caseback reveals the caliber, composed of 471 parts and adorned with 40 jewels, along with its hand-crafted finishes meeting the highest watchmaking standards.

Available exclusively from Vacheron Constantin boutiques, the Traditionnelle minute repeater tourbillon is delivered with with a resonance holder « La Musique du Temps » that serves to amplify the sound and the harmony of the notes struck by the minute repeater.