Introducing The Vacheron Constantin Patrimony Contemporaine Ultra-Thin Calibre 1731, The Thinnest Minute Repeater On The Market Today (Details & Pricing)

September 30, 2013

Vacheron Constantin Patrimony Contemporaine Calibre 1731 Minute Repeater The minute repeater wasinitially designed in the 1700s to indicate time in the dark C remember, this was before theintroduction of electric lighting or luminous dial markings.?Its no small featto produce finely-tuned acoustics within a wristwatch movement; its even moredaunting to make that movement as thin as possible. Vacheron Constantin has done just that with the Patrimony Contemporaine Ultra-Thin Calibre 1731, its latest minute repeater that comes in at just8.09mm thick. The Patrimony Contemporaine Calibre 1731's Dial Building upon a rich history of striking watches (beginning in 1810 with a minute repeater pocketwatch), the all-new Calibre 1731 took four years to develop. The movement isbased on its predecessor, Calibre 1755 (introduced in 1992), which came in at only 3.28mm thick.?The remarkably thinmovement comes in at just 3.90mm, slightly thicker than the 1755, and is equipped with a 65-hour power reserveand unique silent flying-strike governor which ensures a steady cadence in themusical notes. It is?named for the birth year of brand founder Jean-Marc Vacheron. The Slim 8.09mm Profile The PatrimonyCollection is known for its elegant and restrained aesthetic. The PatrimonyContemporaine Ultra-Thin Calibre 1731 sustains this heritage while addingsubtle modern design cues, most notably, a small seconds at 8 oclock andalternating baton and triangular hour markers. The 18k pink gold case is 41mm across and just 8.09mm thick. You can see the beautiful movement in action through the sapphire caseback, which is where this watch really shines. The Ultra-Thin Calibre 1731 As an homage to theartistry of the master watchmaker who makes each watch, every pieces features a subtle variation insound C a permanent aural fingerprint registered in the Vacheron Constantinarchives.There is not yet final pricing for the PatrimonyContemporaine Ultra-Thin Calibre 1731, but we are told it will come in around 270,000 Euro and only 10 to 15 will be produced each year. For all thedetails, click here. Also, take a look at one of the earliest, rarest, and most valuable Vacheron minute repeater wristwatches in Episode One of the Road To Basel.