Vacheron Constantin Patrimony Traditionnelle “Calibre 2755″ in 950 Platinum

Coming in the footsteps of the 2005 VC Tour de l’Ile model and sporting three complications, the new Vacheron Constantin Patrimony Traditionnelle “Calibre 2755″ is the most advanced model in VC’s current product range.

The aforementioned Calibre 2755 is a manual-wind mechanical movement that was developed wholly in-house. Sporting three “real” complications — minute repeater, tourbillon, and (the most useful among them) perpetual calendar that won’t require a correction in about four hundred years, the caliber fits inside a pretty compact space of only 33.3 mm in diameter and 7.9 mm in height and still stores enough energy to power the watch for 55 hours.

But what makes Vacheron Constantin really proud, is its new minute repeater mechanism. While most lower-grade minute repeaters are quite noisy and are prone to premature wear because of the mechanisms’ standard “recoil escapement with a lever” scheme inherent flaws, the new solution from the elite Swiss brand is both silent and more reliable.

According to the company, in order to achieve both targets they had to employ a so called centripetal governor that uses the opposite centrifugal and centripetal forces to even-out energy of the repeater’s spring.

As to the watch’s appearance, it is rather classic with its visibly off-centered dial layout mimicking that of the original Vacheron Constantin Tour de l’Ile. It is more balanced, though, with its tri-compax perpetual calendar located on the northern part of the dial providing enough visual weight to equalize the dominant mass of the tourbillon showing off the brand’s signature Maltese Cross symbol.

It is still not clear how much the Manufacture plans to ask for this beautiful objet d’art, but I can make a guess that the Vacheron Constantin Patrimony Traditionnelle “Calibre 2755″ in 950 Platinum will start at around $600,000. Or more.

Photos: Vacheron Constantin

Vacheron Constantin Patrimony Traditionnelle “Calibre 2755″ watch specification

Price range: N/A, around $600,000
Movement: Calibre 2755, hand-wound, 40 jewels, 18,000 vph, 7.90 mm high, 33.3 mm in diameter
Complications: Date, perpetual calendar, leap year, minute repeater, tourbillon, power reserve
Power reserve: 55 hours
Case material: Platinum
Bezel material: Platinum
Case shape: Round
Transparent case back: Yes, sapphire caseback
Case size: 44.0 mm
Case height: 13.65 mm
Dial: Silvered or dark-grey opaline
Numerals: Arabic
Hands: N/A
Strap: Black or dark blue hand-stitched alligator leather with platinum buckle polished half Maltese Cross
Crystal: Sapphire, AR-coated
Water resistance: 30 meters

Posted on February 5th, 2010 by Evgueni Matoussevitch in Swiss Watches

Tags: 44 mm, Calibre 2755, date, leap-year, manual, minute repeater, Patrimony, perpetual calendar, platinum, power reserve, Tourbillon, Traditionnelle, Vacheron Constantin