Introducing: Two Simply Irresistible 36.5mm Vacheron Constantin Traditionelle Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin Watches
The big trend is “small.” And “thin.” Well, those two words perfectly describe the new 36.5mm Vacheron Constantin Traditionelle Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin. Not only is the diameter a size “S,” but it also has an 8.43mm case thickness, making it worthy of the “Ultra-Thin” moniker. The pink gold version is the most modern of the two. In white gold, this complicated watch with a lot of watchmaking history up its sleeve is remarkably restrained. Both are, to quote the late, great Robert Palmer, “simply irresistible.”
Full disclosure: Vacheron Constantin released not only the Traditionelle Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin in white gold (ref. 4300T/000G-H106) and pink gold (ref. 4300T/000R-H107) but also a white gold version with a diamond-set bezel. The watches align with what VC introduced in 2022 — a QP positioned as a women’s watch, adorned with shiny diamonds and a shimmering mother-of-pearl dial. However, we’ll focus on the two more introverted references. The growing line of 36.5mm watches might have been intended for ladies, but the current trend will also have men all hot and bothered.
The charming 36.5mm Vacheron Constantin Traditionelle Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin
With a 270-year history, Vacheron Constantin has a rich archive from which to draw inspiration. The perpetual calendar, for instance, an intricate mechanism designed to accommodate the irregularities of the Gregorian calendar, from leap years to months of varying lengths, first appeared in 1884 in a double-faced observatory watch.
The brand is also an expert in creating very thin pocket watches. The origins of this stretch back to the early 20th century, with remarkably slim pocket-watch movements. It reached a milestone in 1931 with a platinum pocket watch housing a world-record 0.94mm-thin caliber. VC also knows how to build svelte wristwatches. In 1955, for example, to mark the Maison’s bicentenary, caliber 1003 set a new benchmark with its mere 1.64mm profile.
The 36.5 × 8.43mm Traditionelle Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin with its 29.6 × 4.05mm caliber 1120 QP takes its inspiration from the dimensions of the ref. 43031, introduced in 1983, when times were tough for Swiss mechanical watchmaking. Nonetheless, during its two-decade production run, the ref. 43031 proved instrumental in reasserting the significance of Vacheron Constantin and Haute Horlogerie in general.
The 276-part caliber 1120 QP
The automatic caliber 1120 QP beats at 19,800 vibrations per hour (2.75 Hz). It consists of 276 components, ensuring the display of the day of the week, date, and a 48-month cycle with leap-year indication, alongside a moonphase and age-of-the-moon display, as well as hours and minutes. In keeping with traditional watchmaking standards, the movement is finished by hand. Although concealed beneath the dial, the main plate is replete with perlage. At the same time, the case back’s sapphire display reveals hand-beveled bridges adorned with Côtes de Genève. Please also note the circular, satin-finished jewel and screw sinks, as well as the polished teeth on the going train. The rotor also features Côtes de Genève decoration and is set with a 22K gold weight. To remind you of its origins, the rotor is skeletonized in the shape of the brand’s emblematic Maltese cross.
Small dial, big functions
Is there a more classic complication than the perpetual calendar? The silver-toned opaline dial of both the pink and white gold models has faceted dauphine hands and applied baton-style hour markers in 18K 5N pink gold. Reading a QP is rarely the fastest or easiest task, but it’s also worth taking the time to determine the day of the week and date, whether we’re in a leap year or not, and the phase/age of the moon.
But one big question remains: is this watch too small to be a perpetual calendar? If you live in a strictly non-digital world, that might pose a problem. But since almost nobody does, a small QP is more pleasurable than pragmatic anyway. Whether in white gold or pink gold, the Hallmark of Geneva-certified Traditionelle Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin costs €102,000 / US$100,000 / CHF 86,500 / £84,500.
Now tell me, do you find these 36.5mm QPs as irresistible as I do? Leave your answer in the comments section below.
