Watches and Wonders
Watches and Wonders: Vacheron Constantin’s Refined New Traditionnelle and Patrimony Limited Editions
Celebrating its 270th anniversary, the Geneva-based brand embraces the elegance of its Patrimony and Traditionnelle collections by releasing several new limited editions.
By Cait Bazemore
Contributor
As we discussed in our pre-Watches and Wonders 2025 countdown series, Scrabble the Seconds, this year marks the 270th anniversary of Vacheron Constantin, the world’s oldest watch Maison in continuous operation since its founding in 1755.
Now that the show has officially begun, it is clear the brand is celebrating this impressive milestone by using its Patrimony and Traditionnelle collections to showcase its expertise in classic design and elegant movements.
Patrimony Moonphase Retrograde Date 42.5mm
The Patrimony collection is filled with the spirit of Vacheron Constantin’s ultra-thin timepieces of the 1950s. Its design codes are classic and understated. Embracing minimalism and subtly, Patrimony models have round case shapes, a slim bezel, and a slightly domed dial fitted with slender, applied hour markers, curved baton-style hands, and a pearl minute track.
In short, the Patrimony is the ultimate quiet luxury long before quiet luxury was part of the cultural zeitgeist. Thus, for its milestone 270th year, the brand gives us a gorgeous, oversized, and highly complex edition of the Patrimony with a moonphase retrograde date.
Like each anniversary model, the Patrimony Moonphase Retrograde Date 42.5mm features a subtle geometric guilloche pattern on the dial and a “cote unique” finishing on the movement’s bridges that demands great precision and skill to accomplish.
Visible through the exhibition caseback, the watch is powered by the self-winding manufacture Calibre 2460 R31L/270, which features a 40-hour power reserve and an openwork 18K gold oscillating weight.
Meanwhile, on the dial side, the moonphase and retrograde date are symmetrically arranged, with the retrograde date arching between 9 and 3 o’clock and the moonphase tucked opposite at 6 o’clock – giving the dial a pleasing balance.
This version of the Patrimony comes executed in two beautiful precious metals: white gold and rose gold.
Traditionnelle Moonphase 36mm
Alternatively, the Traditionnelle dives deeper into the 270-year history of the Maison, celebrating 18th-century Haute Horlogerie with its combination of technical elements and distinctive aesthetics. Signatures of the collection include stepped lugs, a fluted caseback, a slender bezel, a railway-style minutes track, faceted Dauphine-style hands, and applied baton-style hour markers.
For the 270th birthday edition, Vacheron gives us a moonphase-equipped model with sweet-spot 36mm sizing and featuring a mother-of-pearl dial and a diamond-set rose gold case.
A stunning piece, the aesthetics of the dial and case are balanced out by the mechanical might of its manufacture Calibre 1410AS/270 movement equipped with a high-precision moonphase – also known as the "astronomical moon" – which tracks the exact lunar cycle with only one day of discrepancy in 122 years.
Traditionnelle Manual-Winding 33mm
Last but not least, we get an even more pared-down, three-handed anniversary edition Traditionnelle with a modest and slim 33mm by 7.70mm build that embodies the essence of the collection in its purest form. Here, you get a pink gold case with just a touch of sparkle in the form of 54 round-cut diamonds circling the bezel.
Powering the Traditionnelle Manual-Winding 33mm and giving the time-only model its effortlessly thin profile is the manufacture Caliber 1440/270, which offers a 42-hour power reserve and measures an impressive 2.60mm thick.
To top it all off, each anniversary edition featured here – the Patrimony Moonphase Retrograde Date as well as the Traditionnelle Moonphase 36mm and this Traditionnelle Manual-Winding 33mm – comes on an alligator leather strap featuring large square scales and tone-on-tone hand stitching and an 18-karat gold pin buckle in the shape of a half Maltese Cross.
Pricing & Availability
The Patrimony Moonphase Retrograde Date 42.5mm, along with both versions of the Traditionnelle, are available today. Each of the three models is a limited edition of just 270 pieces as a nod to Vacheron’s special 270th anniversary year. For more information and pricing, please visit the Vacheron Constantin website.