Among the many new beautiful introductions from Vacheron Constantin at this year’s Watches and Wonders, the Patrimony Retrograde Day-Date hit the spot in terms of color. The platinum timepiece, which is exclusively sold in the brand’s boutique, comes with a beautiful sunray-brushed salmon dial, a colorway that has left its mark in the realms of haute horlogerie.
Vacheron Constantin has used dials in this color since the 1940s. Here, it provides a refined background for the two namesake retrograde weekday and date indications. Their blued hands make for a cool contrast on the very minimalist watch face on which the hours and minutes are indicated by 18K white gold hands. In classic 1950s style, the latter are subtly curved to match the shape of the domed dial with its intense reflections. The circular-grained peripheral minutes track is also inspired by this era in a revisited version.
At the heart of this 42.5mm watch ticks the in-house self-winding caliber 2460 R31R7/3, which unites 276 components in its mechanical microcosm, measuring a mere 5.7mm in thickness. Operating at a rate of 28,800 vibrations per hour, it is fitted with a 22K gold open-worked oscillating weight with a design inspired by the manufactory’s Maltese cross emblem. The mechanism offers a power reserve of approximately 40 hours.
In the grand tradition of in-house calibers, the bridges are finished with hand-polished angles. Straight-graining, which consists of perfectly smoothing the component flanks, is also performed by hand, while the screws are meticulously polished. The mainplate is circular-grained on both sides, while the bridges are adorned on the back with the Côtes de Genève motif. As all of Vacheron Constantin’s movements, it bears the prestigious Hallmark of Geneva certification.
Pricing for the Vacheron Constantin Patrimony Retrograde Day-Date is available upon request.
To learn more, visit Vacheron Constantin, here.