A quick look at Vacheron Constantin's new watches for 2024!

Here's a roundup of the new watches that Vacheron Constantin unveiled at the Watches & Wonders Geneva 2024 watch fair. In addition to new watches from a variety of collections, including the Traditionnelle, Overseas, Patrimony, and Égérie, the collection is packed with highlights, including the Grande Lady Cara, lavishly adorned with emerald-cut diamonds, and Les Cabinotiers The Berkeley Grand Complication, a pocket watch equipped with a perpetual calendar based on the Chinese calendar and boasting 63 complicated mechanisms.

Traditionnelle Tourbillon Chronograph Collection Excellence Platinum

The new "Traditional Tourbillon Chronograph" is part of the "Collection Excellence Platinum" collection. This complication watch uses the Cal. 3200 movement, which is equipped with a tourbillon and a monopusher chronograph.

　The platinum dial features a large tourbillon at 12 o'clock, a 45-minute counter at 3 o'clock, and a power reserve indicator at 6 o'clock.

　The exterior is made of platinum in abundance, from the case, crown, clasp, and even the stitching on the strap. The see-through back allows you to admire the movement, which has been handcrafted by artisans to match its brilliance. Cal. 3200 was developed in 2020, the 260th anniversary of the company's founding, and is a thin movement that is only 6.7mm thick despite being equipped with a complex mechanism.

　This model, which carries on the company's chronograph tradition, will be sold in a limited edition of only 50 units worldwide.

Overseas Tourbillon

　The new Overseas Tourbillon combines a titanium case with a movement equipped with an automatic tourbillon. From the case to the bracelet, lightweight and corrosion-resistant grade 5 titanium is used. The exterior is polished and satin-finished, preserving the sharp impression that is characteristic of the Overseas.

　The dial is coated in blue translucent lacquer with a sunburst satin finish, and at 6 o'clock is the tourbillon cage shaped like a Maltese cross.

　The bracelet features an interchangeable system that allows it to be easily removed from the case, as well as a comfort adjustment system that allows for fine adjustment of up to 4mm. It comes with a blue calf leather strap and a rubber strap, which can be swapped to suit the occasion.

　Despite being equipped with a complex mechanism, the case is only 10.39mm thick, making it easy to handle.

Overseas Green Dial

　A new model with a green dial has been added to the Overseas collection. The deep green dial features a sunburst satin finish in the centre and a velvet finish on the flange. This is the first time that this green dial has been offered in the Overseas collection.

　The four models announced are the Overseas Chronograph, the Overseas Dual Time, and the Overseas Automatic, both in a 41mm case and a 35mm case with a diamond bezel. All models feature 18K pink gold cases that match the color of the dial for an elegant look.

　In addition to the 18K pink gold bracelet, the watch also comes with a green calf leather strap and a rubber strap, and the interchangeable system allows you to easily change them.

Patrimony moon phase and retrograde date

　The Patrimony collection has been expanded with the new Patrimony Moon Phase & Retrograde Date. The curved case, characteristic of the Patrimony collection, is crafted from 18K white gold. Its diameter of 42.5mm ensures excellent legibility. The distinctive feature of this model is its antique silver dial with a warm sunburst satin finish.

　The upper part of the dial features a retrograde hand-type calendar that allows the wearer to visually see how many days have passed in a month, while the lower part of the dial features a highly accurate moon phase display that only needs to be adjusted once every 122 years.

　The case back allows you to see the movement, which is decorated with a 22K gold rotor shaped like a Maltese cross, Côtes de Genève, and circular graining.

　It is fitted with an olive green alligator strap that matches the antique silver dial.

Patrimony manual-winding

　The Patrimony collection, known for its classic design inspired by 1950s watches, has added a new 39mm model with an antique silver dial. The simple two-hand model is available in two versions: an 18K white gold case and an 18K pink gold case.

　The dial, featuring bar indexes and a pearl-shaped minute track, is curved like a dome, and the straight hour and minute hands gently trace over it. The minimalist and simple design has been slightly reduced in size from the existing model, giving it a more classic impression.

　The case back is not see-through, but instead can be personalized with engravings and designs.

　The movement is the thin, hand-wound Cal. 1440.

Egérie Collection

　Vacheron Constantin has collaborated with haute couture designer Yiqing Ying to unveil the concept watch "Égérie The Pleats of Time." The watch features an intricate pleated pattern on a lilac-colored dial, randomly placed mother-of-pearl on the strap, and a special fragrance created specifically for this watch. The brand also unveiled the "Égérie Moon Phase," which shares the same design base and will be limited to 100 pieces worldwide.

A concept watch that embodies the worldview of Yiqing Ying and exudes a special fragrance

　The Égérie The Pleats of Time is a unique concept watch that will not be sold. It features a moon phase display at the 2 o'clock position and no other indices. The mother-of-pearl dial features two different rhythmic pleats, creating a lilac hue that Yiqing Yin describes as "a delicate, feminine hue, like a fleeting daydream."

　The strap prepared for this watch is made of small pieces of mother-of-pearl interwoven with silk threads. The irregular texture of the handcrafted strap and the placement of the mother-of-pearl contrast with the intricate pleats of the dial and the diamonds aligned on the bezel, strongly reflecting Yiqing Yin's worldview. Another unique feature of this watch is that the strap is infused with a fragrance exclusive to this watch, created by master perfumer Dominique Ropion.

　The fragrance was created after extensive discussions based on the concept and design of this piece. The fragrance is encapsulated in nanocapsules and applied to the strap liner, strap loop, embroidery, etc. This allows the scent to be released randomly with the friction and movement of the skin, completing the concept of this piece.

Limited edition model based on a unique piece

　The Égérie Moon Phase is based on the design of the Égérie The Pleats of Time. It shares the same design features as the Égérie The Pleats of Time, including the case design, the moon phase at 2 o'clock, the diamond-set bezel, and the pleated pattern in the center of the dial. The main distinguishing feature is the Arabic numeral indexes. The dial color is lilac, just like the Égérie The Pleats of Time.

　This model is equipped with an interchangeable system and comes with three different textures: a lilac alligator strap that matches the dial, a satin-finished dark blue strap, and a powder pink calfskin strap.

Grand Lady Character

　Vacheron Constantin has unveiled the Grande Lady Cara, which follows the design of an iconic model from 1980. This model is positioned as a revival of the 79 Calista and the 80 Calista, which followed the Calista. The Calista featured an innovative design by Raymond Moretti, with geometric, flowing shapes carved from a gold ingot and adorned with 130 carats of diamonds, making it the world's most expensive wristwatch at the time.

　　Grand Lady Chara features a design that resembles a string of emerald-cut diamonds, a characteristic of Kalista and Chara, and what makes this piece unique is that it can be worn as a watch with a bracelet or as a sautoir necklace.

　This design, which can be enjoyed in such a variety of ways, is based on a long tradition at Vacheron Constantin. In 1924, the brand offered a pendant watch that could also be worn as a brooch, and this know-how is also utilized in this piece.

　　The sautoir is made of Akoya pearls and onyx, and the soft color and light reflection of the Akoya pearls create a chic impression while still maintaining a presence that rivals the brilliance of the watch itself.The dial can also be hidden by diamonds, allowing it to be enjoyed in four different ways: as a bracelet or a sautoir necklace, and with the dial either visible or hidden.

Les Cabinotiers The Berkeley Grand Complication

　　Vacheron Constantin has unveiled Les Cabinotiers The Berkeley Grand Complication, a perpetual calendar based on the complex and seemingly irregular Chinese calendar. Comprised of 2877 components and featuring an unprecedented 63 complications, it is the most complicated timepiece ever.

　The 2877-component watch, comprised of 31 hands and nine discs, surpasses the previous record set by the reference 57260, released in 2015. In addition to the Chinese calendar complication, it also features a chronograph with split-seconds function, a moon phase display accurate to 1027 years without the need for adjustment, a Gregorian perpetual calendar conforming to ISO 8601, a zero-corrected retrograde seconds display, a tourbillon with three rotating axes, a sky chart that rotates according to a sidereal day of 23 hours, 56 minutes, and 4.09 seconds, and a day/night indicator for a second time zone. These extensive functions are listed below.

・Clock and speed control: 9 functions
Gregorian perpetual calendar: 7 functions
- Chinese calendar perpetual calendar: 11 functions
- Chinese lunar calendar perpetual calendar: 2 functions
・Astronomy display: 9 functions
Split-second chronograph: 4 functions
Alarm: 7 functions
Grande Sonnerie: 8 functions
・Other: 6 functions

　As mentioned above, this watch's groundbreaking feature is its perpetual calendar displaying the Chinese calendar. Based on the lunar calendar, a month begins on the day of the new moon, calculated along the 120th meridian east (UTC +8 hours) that passes through the Shandong Peninsula and Hangzhou city. The Chinese calendar features irregularly spaced 29- or 30-day months, following the lunar cycle of one lunar month (29.53 days). Because 12 lunar months are 11 days shorter than a solar year (365.2422 days), the Chinese calendar inserts a 13th leap month every two to three years. A normal year in the Chinese calendar can be 353, 354, or 355 days long, while a leap year can be 383, 384, or 385 days long. Furthermore, the Chinese New Year fluctuates between January 21 and February 21, marking the beginning of the lunar calendar. Additionally, the Chinese calendar divides the solar year into 24 periods of 15 degrees on the path of the sun, called jie (nodes) and qi (energy), which alternate in time and last 15 days.

　Another distinctive feature of the Chinese calendar is the existence of a unit of time based on two sets of symbols (the Ten Heavenly Stems and the Twelve Earthly Branches) that can be combined in 60 different ways. These units, called the Sixty Heavenly Stems, represent the passage of years, as well as months, days, and hours. The Ten Heavenly Stems are displayed in combination with the Five Elements (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water) and their polarity (Yin or Yang), while the Twelve Earthly Branches correspond to the Chinese zodiac animals: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig (known as the Boar in Japan). The combination of the Ten Heavenly Stems, based on the Five Elements and two polarities, and the Twelve Earthly Branches, which are the least common multiple of each, 60, creates a cycle.

　The Chinese calendar was designed to represent astronomical phenomena as accurately as possible, and so is accurate from the perspective of climate and astronomical phenomena, but from a simple mechanical perspective, it has traditionally been treated as irregular. This work is groundbreaking in that it models each division, each of which has a cyclical transition, and is given a mechanism that can display their combinations.

　This model, modeled after and incorporating such a calendar, is capable of accurately displaying the Chinese calendar up to the year 2200. It counts and displays the lunar age, solar cycle, and Metonic cycle (a cycle in which the lunar phases coincide with the seasons, consisting of 235 lunar months or 19 solar years), and by combining these, the exact date of the Chinese New Year is displayed on a disc. The 11 o'clock position indicates whether it is a normal or leap year, the 12 o'clock aperture indicates the lunar month, the date is displayed by a hand on a subdial at 6 o'clock, and the day of the week and month are displayed at 8 o'clock and 4 o'clock, respectively. The 9 o'clock subdial combines the yin-yang polarity and the five elements into a jumping display of the ten heavenly stems, while the 3 o'clock subdial displays the zodiac signs combined with a double hour display. Each day, consisting of 12 two-hour segments, begins at 11:00 PM and continues for 24 hours. Additionally, the silhouette of the animal of the Chinese zodiac for that year appears in an aperture below the moon phase.

　Other features include a Gregorian perpetual calendar, an alarm, and a grand sonnerie, which are traditional complications, making this watch a historic landmark complication that will surely go down in history.