TRADITIONNELLE 14-DAY TOURBILLON “DRAGON”

The Pure Art of Watchmaking in Celebration of the New Year with Tribute to the Artistic Craft of Hand-Engraving

• • Entirely hand-engraved 18K 5N pink gold dragon, case, bezel and lugs
• • Calibre 2260, developed and crafted by Vacheron Constantin
• • 14-day power reserve
• • An exceptional tourbillon in a round case
• • Hallmark of Geneva
• • Limited edition of 8 pieces, exclusively available in Vacheron Constantin’s boutiques in the Asia Pacific region

Offering the art of Haute Horlogerie and the unique expression of superlative craftsmanship, the latest Traditionnelle 14-Day Tourbillon “Dragon” features a meticulously hand-crafted 18K 5N pink gold dragon riding over the tourbillon movement at the 6 o’clock position and hand-engraved clouds on the dial, case, bezel and lugs, portraying vividly the imperial dragons’ authority and auspicious powers in Chinese mythology, making it a pre-destined collector’s item for avid watch connoisseurs to start the new year.

The Pure Art of Watchmaking

In the heart of the latest Traditionnelle 14-Day Tourbillon “Dragon” beats Vacheron Constantin’s legendary Calibre 2260, with a stunning demonstration of the major horological complication represented by the tourbillon.

Vacheron Constantin has long since established its expertise in the field of tourbillon movements. Often associated with another horological complication, the tourbillon produced by the Geneva-based Manufacture reveal remarkable expertise and undeniable audacity. Building on this experience, the Maison’s movement design engineers and watchmakers created Calibre 2260, a mechanical hand-wound tourbillon movement endowed with an exceptional 14-day power reserve.

In order to provide a full 14-day power reserve, Calibre 2260 is equipped with four barrels mounted in coupled pairs, all connected and all unwound simultaneously. The four barrel-springs amount to a total length of around 2.20 metres and each enables approximately 13 development rotations, all in a calibre whose diameter is of only 12 ¾ lignes (29.10mm)! Other than the practical aspect of this power reserve, these barrels guarantee a longer stability in time.

Comprising 231 components, the architecture of Calibre 2260 features two large bridges. The large surfaces thus available serve to highlight the lavish finish of this movement, including the Côtes de Genève that are thus given full scope for expression. Having two extra bridges serves to enhance the precision in terms of assembly, but represents an additional difficulty for the watchmaker who thus has less easy access to the movement. The tourbillon carriage is inspired by the brand’s signature Maltese Cross and provides a splendid showcase for the exceptional level of finishing of each movement part, including a number of interior angles, all naturally hand-bevelled. The rounding off of the tourbillon bar alone takes over 11 hours of manual craftsmanship to achieve an optimal effect.

The Artistic Craft of Hand-Engraving

Since its establishment in 1755, for more than 260 years now, Vacheron Constantin pays tribute with impressive regularity and virtuosity to a full breadth and depth of artistic crafts: hand-engraving, gem-setting, enamelling and guilloche.

From the early days of horology, hand-engraving was used to adorn cases, dials and even tiny movement components - Vacheron Constantin provides exceptional scope for expressing this ancient tradition. Drawing upon a rich palette of techniques for modelling metal, the Master Engraver finely chisels the matter in order to progressively reveal the elements of the three-dimensional motif. Using movements accurate to the nearest tenth of a millimetre, he shapes the curve and depth of the motif, instilling unique character into each model. Engraving ensures that a work of art will remain literally etched in history and living memory.

The hand-crafted 18K 5N pink gold dragon and the floating clouds on the blue-coloured galvanized dial, and the hand-engraved clouds on the dial, case, bezel and lugs on the latest Traditionnelle 14-Day Tourbillon “Dragon” are a vibrant presentation of Vacheron Constantin’s centuries-old endeavour for this artistic excellence, where error-free control of each hand movement and clear overall vision of the shape are demanded for the hand-engraving to be dynamic and proportioned.

Hallmark of Geneva

Instated by the Grand Council of the Republic and Canton of Geneva in 1886, the Hallmark of Geneva is a standard of excellence stemming from the tradition of Haute Horlogerie, a guarantee of origin (mechanical movement, assembly and regulation in the Canton of Geneva), quality of craftsmanship, durability, and expertise. For over a century, the Hallmark of Geneva has been a reference for quality that is synonymous with the excellence of a traditional savoir-faire.

As of 2011, the certification no longer concerns the movement alone, but instead the watch as a whole. Component production as well as verification of the entire set of operations leading to the finished watch are now the object of a systematic and more demanding monitoring procedure conducted by independent State-sworn agents. Once a movement has been officially approved in accordance with the Hallmark of Geneva requirements, periodic unannounced inspections will be made in the company in order to verify the compliance of production processes. The inspections will in particular serve to check that the assembly, adjustment and casing-up are indeed performed in Geneva, as well as to evaluate the quality of the components produced and the assembled movements.

Rather than just the movement, the entire watch is stamped with the Hallmark of Geneva. The exterior of the timepiece is thus taken into account, and in particular the elements connecting the movement to the case, meaning the casing-up rings, the clamps and braces and the dog screws. All components must also comply with the production processes and finishes laid down by the Hallmark of Geneva.

The testing of the completed watch is an integral part of the requirements of the quality label. All the technical characteristics, for example the water resistance or power reserve are duly cross-checked and periodically tested by the Hallmark of Geneva authorities. Finally, the precision of the watch as proven by a wear simulation test becomes an essential element in awarding the label.

All these elements testify the high quality of the timepieces whilst guaranteeing the independence of this certification.

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More detailed description of the watch down below:

Limited edition of 8 pieces, exclusively available in Vacheron Constantin’s boutiques in the Asia Pacific region. See more at http://www.vacheron-constantin.com/en4/home.html.