Vacheron Constantin - Traditionnelle Calibre 2253 Moscow Boutique

For the inauguration of the new Moscow Boutique, Vacheron Constantin created an exceptional limited edition timepiece equipped with a tourbillon, a perpetual calendar, an equation of time as well as sunrise and sunset times for the city of Moscow: the Traditionnelle Calibre 2253 Moscow Boutique. For the occasione, Vacheron Constantin created three other timepieces: the Patrimony Perpetual Calendar Moscow Boutique, the Patrimony Retrograde Day-Date Moscow Boutique, and the Traditionnelle Moscow Boutique Edition, a classic solo-tempo in a 41 mm white gold case.

Just one piece. For the inauguration of the new Moscow Boutique, Vacheron Constantin created an exceptional limited edition timepiece equipped with a tourbillon, a perpetual calendar, an equation of time as well as sunrise and sunset times for the city of Moscow: the Traditionnelle Calibre 2253 Moscow Boutique.

Its 44 mm slim case is crafted in 950 platinum and features a knurled motif surrounding the screw-down case-back. The “N°1/1” engraving on the case-back remarks the uniqueness of this watch.The opaline black dial of the Traditionnelle Calibre 2253 Moscow Boutique has white gold hour-markers with dauphine hands and painted minute-track and indications.

The tourbillon carriage, as always in the shape of a Maltese cross, rotates once a minute at 6 o’clock as a small seconds indication. The indications of the perpetual calendar are symmetrically laid out with the days, the months and the dates at 9, 12 and 3 o’clock respectively, while the leap-year indicator appears at 1 o’clock. The times of sunrise and sunset in Moscow are displayed at 8 o’clock and 4 o’clock.

The short hand appearing between 10 and 11 o’clock is the equation of time which indicates the difference in minutes between the variable solar time shown by a sundial and the constant mean time of clocks and watches. In fact, solar noon, the exact time when the sun reaches its zenith, does not generally correspond to the legal standard time shown by watches. Solar time and mean time coincide just four times a year – on April 15th, June 14th, September 1st and December 24th. For the rest of the year, the difference between solar and mean time varies from minus 16 minutes to plus 16 minutes.

The hand-wound movement, Calibre 2253, is comprised of 457 parts and offers an impressive 336 hours, or 14 days, of power reserve thanks to two pairs of two coupled barrels. The power reserve indication is visible on the bridge side through the sapphire crystal case-back.

There are three more limited edition watches created by Vacheron Constantin for the opening of the new Moscow Boutique: a perpetual calendar, a retrograde day date model and an elegant solo tempo with guilloché dial.

The Patrimony Perpetual Calendar Moscow Boutique model features a sophisticated perpetual calendar movement, the acclaimed Calibre 1120 QP, which will not require any correction until March 1st 2100 taking into account each month with less than 31 days and the leap-year cycle with the quadrennial return of February 29th.

Equipped with a beautifully finished oscillating weight, this self-winding movement beats at a frequency of 2.75 Hz (19,800 vibrations per hour) and offers an approximately 40-hour power reserve.

Just  8.9 mm thick, the 41 mm-diameter white gold case is water-resistant to 30 metres and fitted with a sapphire crystal back revealing Calibre 1120 QP. 

The opaline black dial, with baton hands and trapeze-shaped hour-markers, includes a lunar disc portraying a golden moon set against a lapis lazuli sky. 30 pieces of the Patrimony Perpetual Calendar Moscow Boutique will be produced.

The Patrimony Retrograde Day-Date Moscow Boutique will be available in 20 pieces. For this model, Vacheron Constantin adopted the 283-part Calibre 2460R31R7 – a self-winding movement driving the hours and minutes as well as retrograde date and day of the week functions. Beating at the rhythm of 28,800 vibrations per hour, Calibre 2460R31R7 features an over 40-hour power reserve. 

The 42.5 mm white gold case frames an opaline black dial reprising all the design codes characteristic of the Patrimony line, meaning baton hands, four triangular hour-markers and 8 baton hour-markers curved to follow the contour of cambered dial, as well as a beaded minute track composed of applied gold cabochons.

Finally, we have the Traditionnelle Moscow Boutique Edition, a classic solo-tempo in a 41 mm white gold case protecting a finely hand-guilloché slate-grey dial. This 30-piece limited edition is powered by the self-winding Calibre 1120 which beats at 18,800 vibrations per hour and offers 40 hours of power reserve.

The quality of all these timepieces is certified by the Hallmark of Geneva, which guarantees not only their provenance but also manufacturing and finishing criteria, accuracy and flawless quality of the components. As the final touch, they are delivered with a pair of white gold cufflinks matchings their dials.