Jamie Weiss
It’s fair to say that 2024 was an impactful year for Vacheron Constantin. At the Watches & Wonders fair in Geneva, the 269-year-old brand unveiled its most complicated watch ever made: the Les Cabinotiers Berkeley Grand Complication. As is typical for Vacheron, though, the brand didn’t do much to hype it up. True to the brand’s motto, it was one of the “few” watches released this year, at least in terms of fuss.
Either way, one would think that a watch of this magnitude would naturally rank among the brand’s best releases at the fair. But in fact, it wasn’t the chunky pocket watch that caught my eye the most in Geneva. What really impressed me was the Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Tourbillon Chronograph Excellence Platinum. Not only is this one of the “most platinum” watches made recently, but it’s also a truly fine, yet surprisingly understated, example of luxury watchmaking.
Incident
This watch with a long name is also known as the reference 5100T/000P-H041 (also tricky to handle), and it belongs to the Collection Excellence Platinum, a designation that Vacheron Constantin started in 2006 and which consists exclusively of special models issued in limited editions and made from, as you might imagine, the most expensive metal: platinum.
At 42.5mm in diameter, it’s not a small watch, but it’s only 11.7mm thick (amazing for such a complicated watch), which makes it look quite comfortable, especially for someone with thicker wrists like me. The entire case is polished, giving the platinum a silvery-white shine.
A notable finishing detail is the fluted caseback, a decoration that’s barely visible when the watch is on the wrist, but is another sign of Vacheron’s savoir-faire. That said, if you ever own this watch, you’ll likely spend as much time admiring the caseback as you will the dial. The Traditionnelle Tourbillon Chronograph Excellence Platinum is not just beautiful on the dial side, but more on that later.
Dial
A common feature of Collection Excellence Platinum watches is that, except for the hour markers and hands (which are made of white gold), the entire watch is made from 950 platinum – case, dial, crown, strap buckle, etc. Yes, that’s right – the entire dial is made from one piece of finely grained 950 platinum, and features an almost invisible engraving at 4:30, which is a very subtle touch.
The hands may not be made from platinum, but they’re still pretty special. The dauphine-style hour and minute hands are half polished, half microblasted for increased visibility – a thoughtful and clever touch – while the chronograph and power reserve hands are finished in blue to match the watch’s strap. These hands are complemented by understated subdials and a simple yet beautiful railway-style minute and tachymeter scale.
If the one-piece platinum dial wasn’t enough of a differentiator, the Traditionnelle Tourbillon Chronograph Excellence Platinum’s namesake tourbillon is mounted at 12 o’clock instead of the usual 6 o’clock, which also lends it plenty of appeal. The 45-minute chronograph counter is at 3 o’clock, the power reserve indicator at 6 o’clock, and the Vacheron Constantin logo at 9 o’clock. Part of the discussion surrounding this watch has been about the slight imbalance between the logo and the subdial at 3 o’clock, but I personally really like the subtle asymmetry expressed here.
Like other Vacheron Constantin tourbillon models, the tourbillon cage on this watch (in the shape of a Maltese cross) has a blackened screw at one of its extremities that can be used as a small seconds indicator, a classic and thoughtful design touch. What always amazes me about the VC Tourbillon is the fact that it takes a whopping 12 hours to polish the carriage’s conical suspension bar by hand alone.
strap
The Traditionnelle Tourbillon Chronograph Excellence Platinum features a sturdy dark blue alligator leather strap, as you would expect from a Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle. But this strap boasts a special luxury that is unique to the Excellence Platinum: the stitching is made of silk woven with platinum thread, which makes it shimmer and sparkle in the light. It’s a special luxury that demonstrates both Vacheron Constantin’s attention to detail and its class. But I shudder to think how much it would cost to replace…
motion
Inside the Traditionnelle Tourbillon Chronograph Excellence Platinum is the in-house manual winding calibre 3200, a movement first developed to celebrate Vacheron Constantin’s 260th anniversary in 2015. Rather than being a combination of different movements, the movement was designed from the ground up as a monopusher chronograph with a tourbillon regulator.
It beats at a fairly slow rate of 2.5 Hertz, but it boasts a 65-hour power reserve and is beautifully finished, earning it the Geneva Seal. It’s the details that make this watch special: its curved bridges are adorned with Côtes de Genève, its edges are beautifully bevelled and the top of its column wheel is adorned with a Maltese cross motif. It also feels great to use, with a pleasantly crisp winding sound and confident chronograph pushers.
Verdict
If you’ve read this far, you can see that I really love this watch. I’ve already said that it was my favorite watch of Geneva Watch Week 2024. What makes this Traditionnelle Tourbillon Chronograph Excellence Platinum so fascinating, and what makes Vacheron Constantin so fascinating, is the contrast between very traditional and delicate watchmaking and modern, vibrant touches. The layout of the dial is a great example of this. On the one hand, it’s very classic, but on the other hand, it gives it a modern twist by placing the tourbillon at 12 o’clock and arranging the subdials like this.
I also love how oddly delicate this watch is. Sure, a 42.5mm platinum tourbillon watch worth six figures is not inconspicuous, but it exudes an understated, confident quality. I love the contradictions, opulence, and class of this watch. It’s not the most complicated watch Vacheron has ever made, but the emotions it evokes are certainly varied.
Pricing and Availability for the Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Tourbillon Chronograph Excellence Platinum
The Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Tourbillon Chronograph Excellence Platinum is a limited edition of 50 individually numbered pieces and will be available exclusively at Vacheron Constantin boutiques. Price: on request.
Brand Vacheron Constantin Model Traditionnelle Tourbillon Chronograph Excellence Platinum Reference 5100T/000P-H041 Case size 42.5mm (D) x 11.7mm (T) Case material 950 platinum Water resistance 30 meters Crystal Sapphire front and back Dial 950 platinum, 18K white gold indexes and hands Bracelet Dark blue alligator leather, 950 platinum clasp and stitching Movement 3200, in-house, manual winding, 2.5Hz, Geneva Seal Power reserve 65 hours Functions Hours, minutes, monopusher chronograph, tourbillon, power reserve Availability Limited to 50 numbered pieces, boutique exclusive price POA
