Vacheron Constantin Unveils The Traditionelle Tourbillon Retrograde Date Openface
5 min read
The retrograde displays appeared at Vacheron Constantin in the 1920s on pocket watches and a decade later the Mansion manufactured the very first wristwatch with the retrograde display with a date indication combined with a minute repeater, the famous “Don Pancho” which according to experts could be the very first wristwatch with such a display.
Since the beginning of the 90s, Vacheron Constantin has been using this signature in several models and this year at Watches & Wonders 2023 the retrograde has been introduced to the Traditionnelle collection with a Tourbillon Retrograde Date.
What is a Retrograde Date Display?
A retrograde date display is one in which the indicator does not complete a full turn of the dial, instead traveling along its entire measurement segment and then returning to its starting point to begin a new journey. This is generally an arc of a circle swept over by a dedicated hand. Most retrograde displays apply to hours, minutes, seconds, days, or dates. This mechanism requires great precision and rigorous discipline, particularly with regard to shock- and wear resistance.
Traditionelle Tourbillon Retrograde Date
Since the early 20th century open-worked dials have been a signature at Vacheron Constantin. “The very first Vacheron Constantin timepiece with a partially open-worked dial dates from 1918. It was a pocket watch with an astronomical calendar which was totally innovative at the time in terms of design. It was not until almost a century later that the Manufacture once again turned its attention to this dial concept with Reference 47247 unveiled in 2002 on the eve of the millennium, for the 247th anniversary of the Maison. This 247-piece limited-edition available in a 37 mm platinum case, features a retrograde date, trailing days subdial at 6 o'clock, and an open-worked dial enabling the retrograde date mechanism to be admired. It marks this same open face spirit that has become a Vacheron Constantin signature”, says Christian Selmoni, Director of Style and Heritage at Vacheron Constantin.
The Traditionnelle tourbillon date retrograde openface combines its retrograde display with a partially open-worked dial, housed in a 41mm pink gold case only 11.07 mm thick.
The watch exhibits all the characteristic attributes of the Traditionnelle collection - stepped round case and lugs, a fluted caseback, a slim bezel, a railway minute-track, bi-facetted Dauphine hands, and gold baton-type hour-markers. The open-worked sapphire dial with a partial guilloché segment, reveals in-house Caliber 2162 R31, wherein the retrograde mechanism plate is highlighted by a slate grey surface treatment, achieved by a succession of thin galvanic layers. It is further enhanced by vertical hand-brushing on the upper part, its surface having been smoothed with a dedicated abrasive serving to create subtle light effects, as well as a hand-guilloché lower part. The retrograde date display, complemented by a tourbillon, thus gains added depth in an ultra-contemporary yet very watchmaking style.
The open-worked sapphire dial, which also has a guilloché segment, reveals in-house Caliber 2162 R31, whose retrograde mechanism plate is highlighted by a slate grey surface treatment. It is further enhanced by vertical hand-brushing on the upper part, its surface having been smoothed with a dedicated abrasive serving to create subtle light effects, as well as a hand-guilloché lower part. The retrograde date display, complemented by a tourbillon, thus gains added depth in an ultra-contemporary yet very watchmaking style. Stylized in the shape of a hollowed-out Maltese Cross, the tourbillon features a set of refined and complex finishes.
Caliber 2162 R31
A retrograde date with a tourbillon, an unexpected match embodied in a technical geometry of rare beauty that is visible to the naked eye through the open-worked dial, Caliber 2162 R31 revisits the concept of High Watchmaking by adapting it to modern times with its NAC slate grey finish, 72-hour power reserve, and decorated gold peripheral weight.
“This new reference continues to write the history of watches with open-worked dials at Vacheron Constantin. And it does so in grand style with a tourbillon, a retrograde date, and absolutely remarkable component finishes. The idea here is to push the limits of technical complexity and horological beauty by making them visible, all in a classic rose gold case. The opportunity to admire the contemporary design of Calibre 2162 R31 is truly spectacular. This new interpretation, embodying a blend of contemporary design and watchmaking heritage, is clearly a strong signature of the Maison.”
- Christian Selmoni, Director of Style and Heritage at Vacheron Constantin
Caliber
2162 R31
Developed and manufactured by Vacheron Constantin
Mechanical, self-winding
Approximately 72 hours of power reserve
Hallmark of Geneva certified timepiece
Indications
Hours, minutes, small seconds on tourbillon carriage
Tourbillon
Retrograde date
Case
18K 5N pink gold
41 mm diameter, 11.07 mm thick
Transparent sapphire crystal caseback
Water-resistance tested at a pressure of 3 bar (approx. 30 meters)
Dial
Openface, assembled in four parts:
- 18K gold slate grey openface plate with a hand-guilloché upper-part, surrounded by an opaline flange with railway minute-track
- 18K gold applied hour-markers
- Sapphire glass
- 18K gold tourbillon second’s ring
18K 5N pink gold hour & minutes hands
18K gold blackened date hand with a white crescent
Strap
Grey Mississippiensis alligator leather strap with alligator leather inner shell, hand-stitched, saddle finish, large square scales
Buckle
18K 5N pink gold folding clasp
Polished half Maltese cross-shaped
Only available in Vacheron Constantin Boutiques.
