This year at Watches & Wonders Geneva, Vacheron Constantin’s theme of “From Geometry to Artistry” comes alive through the realisation of geometric and arithmetic sketches and calculations. It all begins with a drawn line; soon after, geometrical shapes find themselves interconnected through technical extensions. Designs are combined with engineering, details are met with grace, and artisanal intelligence sparks emotions during the process.
A cursory glance at this year’s novelties reveals the thematic expression uniting them, from the classicism of the Traditionnelle collection, the minimalism of the Patrimony watches, the allure of Égérie, and the sporty-chic spirit of Overseas. The latter Overseas, however, epitomises this expression the most with its Maltese cross-like profile of the bezel and bracelet links. This year’s iteration, the Vacheron Constantin Overseas Tourbillon in titanium, builds on the foundations laid by the Genevan manufacture dating back to the late 2000s.
While titanium is not new to the watch circle, it is a relatively new material adopted by Vacheron Constantin. The material was first used in the Quai de l’Île collection of 2008 before the bezels of two 2009 Overseas pieces were outfitted with the lightweight material. It was not until the titanium Vacheron Constantin Overseas Everest released in collaboration with photographer and mountaineer Cory Richards in 2021 that opened the doors to new possibilities. 2022 was an important year for the sports-chic collection as a regular production all-titanium Vacheron Constantin Overseas was released, housing an openwork tourbillon movement. This year, the timepiece returns to its roots with Vacheron Constantin’s emblematic translucent blue-lacquered, sunburst satin-finished dial taking centre stage.
Housed within a 42.5mm Grade 5 titanium case, the resplendent dial glistens against the subtle grey sheen characteristic of the alloy. Meticulous finishing of the titanium case lends the otherwise technical material an elevated touch of elegance and chicness. A combination of delicate satin-brush, mirror polish and sandblast finishing gives the watch a unique dimension straddling both sporty and chic segments. Super-LumiNova-filled 18k white gold watch hands and hour indices sing to the tune of sports chic while the Maltese cross tourbillon cage rotates gracefully in the bottom half of the dial. Vacheron Constantin’s self-winding ultra-thin Manufacture Calibre 2160 delivers 80 hours of power reserve thanks to the 180 components beating in perfect harmony. As with all of the manufacture’s movements, every single component is exquisitely finished in accordance with the Poinçon de Genève.
Moving on from the geometric, sporty nature of the Overseas, we cast our eyes to the minimalism of the Patrimony collection. While the collection formally debuted in 2004, it was inspired by an elegant ultra-thin watch rid of superfluous details of the 1950s. This year’s Vacheron Constantin Patrimony Manual-Winding celebrates 20 years of elegance, style and the quintessence of classical watchmaking. Here, the purity of lines, smooth curvature of the circle, stringent proportions and harmonious design allow the fine details to shine amidst a minimal canvas. The Patrimony’s signature convex dial gets an antiqued sunburst silver-tone makeover to exude the right amount of warmth, complementing the 18K 5N pink gold watch hands, hour indices and 48 polished 18K 5N pink gold pearls on the minute track.
While the earlier Patrimony models were housed in 40mm watch cases, Vacheron Constantin reduced this year’s diameter to 39mm with a svelte 7.7mm thickness to be more aligned with today’s preferences for low-profile watches. Available in either an 18k white gold or 18K 5N pink gold case, Vacheron Constantin’s razor-thin manual-winding Calibre 1440, measuring 2.6mm thick, powers the watch. All 116 components are also finished in accordance with the Poinçon de Genève.
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