Worn & Wound
Vacheron Constantin’s New Traditionelle Perpetual Calendar Ultra Thin
Vacheron Constantin has had, by all accounts, a banner year defined by what I think most would categorize as “heavy hitters,” a watch media term of art that implies a certain combination of hype and watchmaking maximalism. January, of course, saw the release of the long awaited and much discussed 222 in steel, and they followed that up in April at Watches & Wonders with the Solaria Ultra Grand Complication, which holds the belt, at the moment, for the most complicated wristwatch in the world. There was also a 550 pound clock with an automaton at its center (and 23 complications in total) as well as one of the sportier minute repeaters we’ve seen in a bit. Like I said, lots of big swings this year. But Vacheron is closing 2025 in a far more understated way, and this latest release is perhaps my favorite thing I’ve seen from the brand this year. It’s certainly among the most approachable watches they’ve debuted, although that’s a relative term and the new Traditionelle Perpetual Calendar Ultra Thin is very expensive by any metric (they start at an even $100,000). But in terms of what this watch actually represents, it feels like the most classic distillation of what Vacheron is really about. This is, very simply, a modest, medium sized perpetual calendar is a surprisingly thin and wearable case. Measuring at 36.5mm in diameter and 8.43mm tall, the Traditionelle Perpetual seen here represents the first time this case size has been used for non gem set watche...
