Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Tourbillon: A Classic Tourbillon Done Right

Like a meal that is cooked to perfection, there is something about a watch that is designed, crafted, and finished with passion and eye for detail. Vacheron Constantin did just that with the Traditionnelle Tourbillon, which is in regards to some of their other offerings a relatively simple time-only watch fitted with a tourbillon. But this watch is not about being the most complicated, but more about being one of the most refined offerings in its category.

When introduced last year the Traditionnelle Tourbillon was the very first Vacheron Constantin fitted with an automatic tourbillon movement.  The brand realized that this feature needed to add something and not take away, and therefore they opted for a peripheral oscillating weight. This means that we can enjoy the beauty of caliber 2160, without any obstruction. This is in particular pleasant because the movement in this Vacheron Constantin is awarded the prestigious Geneva Seal, which has very specific requirements in regards to the decoration of the movement in order to obtain it. Apart from that is also the lay-out of the bridges and the insight you have in part of the gear train quite pleasing to the eye.

This can also be said of the front of the watch. There is a balance in everything, and the proportions are all right. The Traditionnelle Tourbillon is a modern sized watch, with a diameter of 41mm. Yet, the tourbillon is placed just above the railroad track at the bottom of the dial. This is possible because caliber 2160 is quite large by itself, with a diameter of 31mm. On the wrist, it sits rather comfortable, as its height is only a modest 10.4mm.  Its curved lugs also add to the wearing comfort as they ensure that the strap not only connects visually pleasant to the watch but also can immediately follow the curve of the wrist nicely.

The case of the watch and the deployant buckle are crafted from 5N pink gold. This gives the watch a much warmer tone as if it was crafted from yellow gold, making it more in line with current trends. It also offers a beautiful contrast to the brown leather strap as well as the dial, which is a light egg-shell color. Because of the purity of the dial, with its gold baton hour markers and dauphine hands, the watch is all the more striking. The tourbillon gets all the room to shine but doesn’t take over. It is the balance in design, as well as in the execution of the design, that makes this Vacheron Constantin a classic tourbillon done right.