Patrimony Traditionnelle Chronograph 2009

All the aesthetic characteristics of the Patrimony Traditionnelle line – the fine bezel, the knurling around the sapphire crystal back, the dauphine hands, and the dials in several historically-inspired shades of silver - are present and correct in this new Haute Horlogerie chronograph. Although only recently launched, it has already become a benchmark of the genre with collectors. In short, it is endowed with very strong aesthetic and technical arguments.

Watch enthusiasts will have realised already that everything about this contemporary timepiece is a tribute to the best of the watchmaking tradition. For a start, there is the legendary 1141 calibre column-wheel chronograph, a movement that has become so famous that it has joined the ranks of Vacheron Constantin classics.

Recognised by all the experts as one of the most technically and aesthetically accomplished movements and equipped with a magnificent balance reminiscent of the 1940’s, the manual-winding 1141 calibre is reserved for exceptional models. This valuable addition to the Patrimony Traditionnelle line has been housed in the collection’s characteristically classic case, unpretentious and extremely elegant.

Another distinguishing feature of this new Vacheron Constantin chronograph is its silvered opaline dial with two counters characteristic of the 1940’s, the chronograph’s golden age. The 30-minute chronograph counter at 3 o’clock and the small seconds at 9 o’clock give the dial perfect balance. The Manufacture’s designers have taken full advantage of the case’s impressive 42-mm diameter to guarantee optimum legibility of all the indications, including the tachometer scale on the dial rim.

The 18K pink gold case has been tested for water-resistance to a pressure of 3 Bar, the equivalent of 30 metres. Like the other models in this line, it has a sapphire crystal back through which one can admire the unique and characteristic geometry of the manual-winding 1141 chronograph movement and its exemplary finishing. The 1141 also has a 48-hour power reserve.