The biggest watch collectors are found in Asia. And in China the dragon is a mythological animal full of meanings. In the West, on the other hand, it is the phoenix, a bird reborn from its ashes, that has entered mythology, even if the bird is also present in Chinese tradition. Two aspects that prompted Vacheron Constantin to create three Traditionnelle tourbillon timepieces in a limited and numbered edition of 16 pieces for each type of watch, inspired by these two symbolic animals. On the hand-guilloché dial, the phoenix and dragon take the form of sculpted rose gold applications.
The three versions of the model are different starting from the galvanic treatment of the dial: it can be black, dark blue and silver. The pink gold case has a diameter of 41 millimeters, and is engraved with cloud-shaped scrollwork on the bezel and lugs, forming a low-relief motif on the caseband. The watch uses the self-winding caliber 2160 with tourbillon and consists of 188 elements. The ultra-thin movement is just 5.65 millimeters thick thanks to the peripheral rotor, which guarantees an 80-hour power reserve. The case has a sapphire crystal case back, through which the details of the finishes can be admired.
The Traditionnelle tourbillon watch therefore reproduces the dance of the phoenix and dragon around the pearl, one of the typical symbols of Chinese tradition. The finish of the watch evolved along the way: initially the pearl had to be polished and the flames sandblasted, but in reality, due to its very small thickness (3/10 of a millimetre), the Maison decided to do the opposite . The mythical creatures are represented through rose gold applications, printed and finished by hand with the ramolayage technique, which involves modeling with a burin and the subsequent smoothing of the parts in relief with a file. The exquisite details and precise operations used to depict the plumage of the rooster-headed phoenix, symbol of the Chinese empress, and the undulating body of the scaled dragon, emblem of the emperor, orchestrate a celestial choreography.
The whole scene comes to life thanks to the Maltese cross-shaped movable tourbillon cage, emblem of Vacheron Constantin, while the regulator acts as a support for one of the dragon’s legs, and the beating of the phoenix’s wings seems to mark the rhythm. On the lunette and on the handles, the sky is symbolized by a series of volutes carved in bas-relief.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Traditionnelle tourbillon
References 6040T/000R-B959
6040T/000R-B960
6040T/000R-B961
Caliber 2160/1
Developed and manufactured by Vacheron Constantin
Mechanical, self-winding, peripheral rotor
31 mm (13 1/2 lines) in diameter, 5.65 mm thick
About 80 hours of power reserve
2.5Hz (18,000 vibrations/hour)
188 components
30 rubies
Timepiece certified by the Hallmark of Geneva
Indications Hours, minutes, small seconds on the tourbillon cage (colored screw)
Tourbillon
Rose gold case
41mm in diameter, 11.21mm thick
Hand engraved bezel and lug sides
See-through sapphire crystal caseback
Waterproof tested at a pressure of 3 bar (about 30 meters)
Gold dial, hand guilloché, silver/dark blue/black galvanic treatment
Hand engraved and applied rose gold phoenix and dragon
Strap Brown/dark blue/black Mississippiensis alligator leather with alligator lining, hand-stitched, topstitched, large square scales
Buckle Rose gold folding clasp
Polished half Maltese cross
Limited edition consisting of 16 individually numbered copies.
Available exclusively at Vacheron Constantin Boutiques.
