Watches & Wonders 2020: Vacheron Constantin Flexes Its Watchmaking Muscle With Ten New Watches

They say practice makes perfect, and that certainly rings true for Vacheron Constantin’s new watches in 2020. Vacheron Constantin has been in continuous operation since 1755, but they’re not sitting back on their laurels over two centuries later. The brand is forging ahead, and each year introduces horological wonders in both mechanics and design. 

The Fiftysix collection was launched in 2018, with its design inspired by a watch launched in, you guessed it, 1956. With its box-type crystal and sturdy lugs, the watch perfectly melds form with function. This year, two versions in pink gold with sepia-brown dials and calfskin straps are being introduced. 
 

The Fiftysix Self-Winding features a dial with three distinct finishes: opaline, sunburst, and snailed. The finishes provide a subtle feeling of depth to the dial, with its railroad minute track and small date aperture at 3 o’clock. The three-handed watch is at once sporty and refined, a message that’s perfectly echoed by its calfskin strap. A crystal caseback reveals the exquisite finishing that is a hallmark of Vacheron Constantin’s unwavering dedication to the highest quality standards. 
 

The Fiftysix Complete Calendar, including a moonphase, has a “vintage aura” according to the brand. And indeed it does, from the three finishes on the dial to the moon phase indicator at 6 o’clock. Specially designed Arabic numerals add to its vintage feel. The day and month are shown through apertures, and the date is indicated by a fourth hand pointing to a chapter ring using the same Arabic numerals. While this watch features two sought-after complications, the dial’s design feels unfettered. A sapphire crystal caseback reveals the beauty of the self-winding movement. 
 

In a nod to the ever-increasing interest in complicated watches for ladies, Vacheron Constantin’s new Traditionnelle tourbillon adorned with diamonds is distinctly feminine. It also marks the brand’s first self-winding tourbillon for women.

The watch comes in two sparkling versions, the Traditionnelle Tourbillon and Traditionnelle Tourbillon Jewellery, both of which are a sight to behold.
 

The diamond-set pink gold Traditionnelle Tourbillon features diamonds on the case and bezel, as well as on a delicate circle outlining the tourbillon’s aperture. Its dial is crafted from rich mother-of-pearl, and the watch comes with two straps – one in grey satin and the other grey alligator.
 

The Traditionnelle Tourbillon Jewellery iteration of this horological masterpiece features a jaw-dropping 559 diamonds in both brilliant and baguette cuts, individually set into the white gold case, bezel, and dial. A blue satin strap with a white gold diamond-set folding clasp completes the look of this truly stunning watch. 
 

The tourbillon, set at 12 o’clock instead of the conventional 6 o’clock, makes the new Traditionnelle Tourbillon Chronograph stand out at first glance. However, it is the chronograph function that takes the timepiece to a whole other level.
 

The watch is classically elegant in style while encapsulating the sensibility of a chronograph. This is a timepiece that collectors will rave about on social media and be itching to touch in real life. The watch emanates from the Vacheron Constantin Grandes Complications workshops, and it’s easy to see why. The tourbillon has a new carriage configuration, which “is set in motion by an intermediate wheel of the running seconds display,” allowing for a very large opening – all the better for seeing the tourbillon in all its beauty. 
 

The chronograph function has just one pusher, set in the crown. Start, stop, and reset are all operated through this single button that controls the column-wheel mechanism. The 45-minute counter subdial is spare in design and subtly elegant. At 6 o’clock, the watch has a power reserve indicator, which is an important reference point for a chronograph, as it consumes more energy than a two or three-hand timepiece. 

(Images provided by Vacheron Constantin)