Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Tourbillions For Women

If the concept of owning a mechanically-groundbreaking watch resonates with you, Vacheron Constantin’s new releases will be your thing. The Traditionnelle Tourbillions fit neatly into this storied Swiss brand’s catalog while evolving the modern idea of  Haute Horlogerie for women.

2020 has been a good year for women’s watches. It started with Bvlgari‘s Serpenti, released during the LVMH Watch Week in Dubai. That watch was fitted with the world’s smallest tourbillon. Following its release, I had high hopes. The mold was breaking. Brands were becoming more experimental. At last, they were taking risks with women’s timepieces. I had hoped that this year, we might finally catch a glimpse of what ladies’ watches might look like in the future. Although that might take a bit of time to manifest aesthetically, we are, at least, seeing progress within the watches. And now, with the latest release from Vacheron Constantin, we see yet another classic brand’s take on the next step in that regard.

Diamonds On The Wrist

These watches are certainly attention grabbers. There are two distinct variants. One comes in rose gold, while the other is made from white gold. The exquisite warm tone of rose gold sits shoulder-to-shoulder with a shimmering mother-of-pearl dial surrounded by icy diamonds. The contrast is sublime.

…modern women desiring to stand out from the crowd.

Meanwhile, the white gold case and dial are studded with an incredible 559 diamonds (in comparison to 291 in total for the rose gold model). These new releases are exactly the sort of watches that capture the imagination of modern women desiring to stand out from the crowd. They are a wrist-bound expression of a lavish lifestyle.

The 18K white gold Traditionnelle Tourbillion model blooms into mixed-cut diamond clusters, which are placed literally everywhere. The dial sparkles with 89 baguette-cut and brilliant-cut diamonds. Also, the navy blue satin strap excellently complements the whole design.

Although these two Tourbillons differ from each other visually, some features remain the same. Both cases measure 39mm in diameter and stand 11.22mm tall on the wrist. It’s certainly a large watch, but an elegant and sharp option that can be worn by its enthusiasts at any time of the day and night regardless of the occasion.

The Women’s Tourbillon

Caliber 2160 is produced in-house by Vacheron Constantin at its manufacture and it was introduced nearly two years ago. Now, for the first time, we can admire Vacheron Constantin’s exquisite craftsmanship in women’s watches. The 31 mm automatic tourbillon is 5.65 mm thick, operates at 18,000vph, and generates an 80-hour power reserve. Additionally, caliber 2160 features a small seconds readout courtesy of a blackened screw set into one of the arms of the Maltese cross. It looks at home within the Traditionnelle Tourbillion models.

Visually, the spinning tourbillon is terrific. The open-worked tourbillon carriage resembles the Maltese cross and is entirely hand-beveled. The ruby jewel in its center emphasizes the most important element on the dial. While a see-through sapphire case back reveals the 22K gold peripheral rotor and the movement with Côtes de Genève finishing.

Creating The Future

The level of craftsmanship in Traditionnelle Tourbillion shines. Finding the perfect arrangement of diamonds and mixing them with varying shades of brown — on the rose gold model — is elegant and alluring. This collection is just one example of the sparkling, but highly-complicated future of Haute Horlogerie.

I love the universe the major watch industry players are shaping. Tourbillions might look insanely sexy on a woman’s wrist, but the brands need to remember that the design must speak to that woman’s unique style and identity. Wearing a full diamond watch expresses the wearer’s personality to the rest of the world in a dazzling way. Perhaps watch brands should rethink their approach to designing women’s Tourbillions and imagine the Haute Horlogerie without diamonds but with more creativity.

While these pieces are certainly successful, there is enormous scope for more challenging designs in the future. Vacheron Constantin has contributed to the forward movement of women’s watchmaking by placing an unbridled emphasis on quality. Consequently, we know the brand is taking this challenge seriously. Next up? We also need to see more dynamic design that pushes boundaries in directions we couldn’t even have guessed. Learn more here.