The Replica watch you see above is the new Vacheron Constantin Traditionelle Perpetual Calendar Chronograph Replica. Vacheron’s Perpetual Chrono is a longstanding pillar of the Traditionelle line, and it’s one of those watches which reinforces the brand’s status as one of the Big Three of Swiss watchmaking.
It has had a bit of an aesthetic update from Vacheron – bringing it a new slate grey dial and platinum case – but the main changes are under the bonnet, where we find Calibre 1142 QP.
Herein lies a tale. Historically, Vacheron Constantin mens replica, along with many others including Patek Philippe, used variations of the Lemania calibre 27-70 as the chronograph base for its perpetual calendar chronograph. Patek switched to a fully-in house movement when it released the 5270, in 2011. Lemania, as we know, has been owned by Breguet for some time now.
Vacheron Constantin used to use Calibre 1141, which was its internal designation for what was effectively a Lemania 27-70, re-made to Vacheron’s own standards. The upgrade to 1142 brings a couple of notable changes – an increase from 2.5Hz to 3Hz frequency, and a slight decrease in thickness being the most notable.
Here’s where things get a little complicated. We’ve seen this new movement simultaneously praised elsewhere on the internet for being Lemania-based, and therefore true to a certain purity that’s prized by collectors, and praised on other sites for being Vacheron’s first “in-house” perpetual calendar chronograph movement.
This is just one of many ways into the thorny issue of what “in-house” really means, and we’re not opening the can of worms today – at least, not all the way. Just having a peek inside. According to Vacheron Constantin, it “partnered with Breguet in order to rebuild and manufacture the caliber in keeping with the Maison’s highest quality standards and the criteria of the Hallmark of Geneva.” That makes sense – Poincon de Geneve certification requires every part to get a certain degree of attention – but does it make it an in-house movement?
Vacheron elaborated for us, explaining that the entire movement is manufactured in-house from scratch, including the escapement. No ebauches, kits, components or, well, anything, comes in from Breguet any more. Furthermore, Vacheron claims to have redesigned and improved a significant number of components throughout the movement. The basic design may be recognisable from the old Lemania calibres, and the specification may be similar to Breguet’s current 2320/533.1. But this is the watchmaking equivalent of “my grandfather’s axe” – if you change the handle, the blade and the fastening of the axe over time, is it still the same axe?
Maybe the best way to think about it is to say that, actually, you can have it whichever way you want. If it matters to you that your perpetual calendar chronograph maintains a lineage from one of the all-time great chronograph calibers, then you can play up the Lemania link. If you value the idea of all-under-one roof manufacturing, elevated to Geneva Seal levels, then you can think of it in those terms. You’re not wrong either way – possibly you’re ignoring part of the story, but so be it. In any case, you shouldn’t be disappointed with the watch. It’s a fitting display of pure, classical watchmaking that has few peers.
