We all knew Vacheron Constantin would have a few surprises for its 260th anniversary, but the Harmony Dual Time still caught us off guard...
We all knew Vacheron Constantin would have some surprises for a remarkable 260 years of constant existence. Many “heritage” brands went defunct and were resurrected using the same name in the modern era but Vacheron holds claim to not shutting its doors for two and a half centuries.
The Harmony collection has the distinction of representing Vacheron’s anniversary and the Dual Time presents a model each for men and and another for women—nice touch here for those of us women who appreciate haute horlogerie. There are several models in the collection, including a Harmony with pulsometer dial which we got our hands on earlier. And although the Dual Time is the simplest, and the only one without a chronograph, I think it’s the most elegant and useful.
As its name suggests, the timepiece allows for the setting of two time zones, truly a complication that is practical (right along with the date) in modern day and not just a fun demonstration of technique.
The men and women’s models are virtually the same except for size difference and diamond adornment around the case for the ladies. In a cushion case inspired by a piece produced in 1928 from the archives, the shape combines historical elegance with modern flair.
The layout is a lovely picture for the eyes, a very balanced dial with a sunken dials for the separate time zone at 4 o’clock and running seconds placed at 8 o’clock for a layered, 3-dimensional composition . Blue Arabic numerals frame the white dial completing the picture.
Both the ladies and men’s watches run off the newly created Caliber 2460DT that becomes automatic with the rotor that has the “260th Anniversary” inscription engraved on the back. To demonstrate its standards of quality and finishing the watches have earned the Geneva Seal, which now also includes evaluation of the case.
The Harmony collection is limited: the Dual Time for men is only produced in editions of 625 pieces each in 18K white gold and 18K 5N pink gold cases, while the women’s comes in the same metal colors but limited to 500 pieces.
Photo Credit: Haute Time. For more information, please visit the official Vacheron Constantin website.
