Vacheron Constantin Breaks Thinness Records
With the Patrimony Contemporaine ultra-thin calibre 1731, Vacheron Constantin is setting new thinness records.
A complication as coveted as it is difficult to execute, the minute repeater (definition here) lets you “hear” the time. The Patrimony Contemporaine ultra-thin calibre 1731 (special mention for a name that’s impossible to say in full without being a professional free-diver) houses the world’s thinnest minute-repeater movement (3.90 mm) in a case just 8.09 mm thick.
All it takes is to slide the striking lock on the side of the dial to unleash the gentle chimes produced by the two hammers on the gongs—and savour Vacheron Constantin’s watchmaking expertise. Let’s not forget that the manufacture produced its first minute repeater more than 200 years ago, in a pocket watch. The kind of experience you’d love to have on your CV.
Calibre 1731 (the birth year of Jean-Marc Vacheron) offers a 65-hour power reserve and features a flying strike governor that is completely silent, unlike the usual anchor-type governors. Yes, sound is also a matter of silence.
The 41 mm case (in diameter) shares space with the movement within an optimised architecture (air circulation, absence of gaskets, etc.) designed to project the notes while meeting the demands of ultra-thinness. The transparent caseback reveals the hammers, the gongs, the seven bridges with their Côtes de Genève, and more.
On the dial side, restraint and elegance are the order of the day, though a touch of whimsy comes courtesy of a small seconds subdial offset at 8 o’clock.
Before leaving the workshop, each watch’s unique chime is recorded. Should it ever return to the workshop, the watch will therefore be returned to its owner with an identical chime.
