Vacheron Constantin presents the Traditionnelle Tourbillon Retrograde Date Openface
Visual depth and charming Easter eggs.
For Vacheron Constantin, 2023 is the year of the retrograde date. The brand opened the year with three reference Perfect Replica Watches featuring this unusual complication, led by the Traditionnelle Tourbillon Retrograde Date Openface.
Vacheron Constantin has a long history of retrograde displays dating back nearly 100 years, and the Traditionnelle Tourbillon takes it a step further with its hand-engraved skeleton dial.
The new Traditionnelle Tourbillon is a neat little package that creates a surprisingly different watch by tweaking an existing movement through an open dial using a retrograde mechanism as a design element.
The result is a watch that is recognizably a Traditionelle Tourbillon – it bears many of the collection’s hallmarks – but stands out immediately.
The new look also compliments the larger case nicely. In terms of size, the new tourbillon is almost identical to the standard Traditionelle tourbillon with a traditional dial. But while the standard model’s 41mm feels a bit large due to its classic styling, the new model’s size feels more natural due to its modern aesthetic.
In terms of its value proposition, the estimated price of 200,000 euros is in line with its status, although a bit on the high side. It’s a little more than the brand’s own Overseas Tourbillon Skeleton, a Replica watches prices that uses the same base movement with a more refined finish. Of course, this isn’t an apples-to-apples comparison, as the Overseas lacks the Traditionelle’s two-piece guilloche-finish dial and retrograde date mechanism.
Guilloche and Retrograde
While the underlying movement of the new Traditionnelle Tourbillon is familiar, the execution of the retrograde mechanism and dial is unusual – the retrograde mechanism is essentially the dial.
The dial is the most striking feature of the new Traditionnelle Tourbillon, crafted in two layers to provide visual depth and dramatic play of light and shadow.
Notably, the lower half of the dial is decorated with traditional guilloché, engraved with linear motors. The upper dial consists of a sapphire crystal disc and a similarly engraved section of 18k gold.
Using an engraved baseplate as a dial element is a bold and unusual choice that required extra care during assembly and repair of the retrograde date component, but the effect is worth it. Another watch with an engraved base plate forming the dial is the FP Journe Chronomètre Bleu Byblos launched in 2014.
The retrograde date mechanism sandwiched between these elements is on full display. This configuration is reminiscent of an earlier reference. 47247, a limited edition launched in 2002 to commemorate the brand’s 247th anniversary.
Interestingly, while the configuration of the retrograde date is similar to the previous reference, the mechanism has clearly been reworked to provide a cleaner and more attractive rack and spring arrangement.
A familiar move, an Easter egg
Carl. The 2162 R31 among the new tourbillons is based on the cal. 2160 launched in 2018 as the brand’s first automatic tourbillon. The movement uses Vacheron Constantin’s iconic Maltese cross-shaped tourbillon cage. copy watches online
The cage stands out with its unique, refined and satisfyingly sharp inner corners. The tourbillon cage also features an Easter egg: one of the frame screws is galvanized the same gray as the dial, allowing the tourbillon cage itself to double as a running seconds hand.
The structure of the movement is elegant, and the graceful curves complement the adjacent splints. The craftsmanship is exemplary, especially the black polished tourbillon bridge on the dial side.
The most unusual feature of the movement is the peripheral winding rotor. Although peripheral oscillating weights tend to be less efficient at winding than central oscillating weights, they have the advantage of being thinner and having an unobstructed view of the movement. Given the fine finishing of the calibration. 2162, it’s a worthwhile compromise.
It is also worth noting that between 12 o’clock and 2 o’clock, the self-winding wheel train can be seen through the case back. In most automatic movements, these components are hidden, but this layout allows the user to observe the transmission of power from the peripheral winding ring to the intermediate wheel and finally to the “magic lever” style, pawl-based bi-directional winding system.
By the way, the Magic Lever was invented by Seiko in 1959 and is still closely associated with the Japanese brand today. But over the past few years, the Swiss have overcome their collective “not invented here” bias, and you can now find this compact Discount copy watches Ulysse Nardin, H. Moser & Cie, IWC, and Jaeger-LeCoultre, among many others. And efficient system.
Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Tourbillon Retrograde Date Openface
Ref. 6010T/000R-B638
Diameter: 41mm
Height: 11.07mm
Material: 18K 5N Rose Gold
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 30 meters
Movement: Cal. 2162 R31
Features: hours, minutes, small seconds on tourbillon cage, tourbillon and retrograde date
Frequency: 18,000 beats per hour (2.5 Hz)
Winding: automatic
Power reserve: 72 hours
Strap: alligator leather with folding clasp
