Vacheron Constantin Introduces New Ultra-Thin Perpetual Calendar Models in a Refined 36.5 mm Format

DAAS2R
Dec 2, 2025
3 min read

Vacheron Constantin expands its Traditionnelle line with three new perpetual calendar references, each condensed into a 36.5 mm case that reflects the house’s longstanding approach to mechanical refinement. The update aligns historical proportions with modern expectations, bringing one of the manufacture’s most complex calibers into a format defined by clarity, balance and precise watchmaking architecture.

The new models arrive in 18k 5N pink gold, 18k white gold, and 18k white gold with a diamond-set bezel and lugs, each measuring 36.5 mm in diameter and 8.43 mm in thickness. They are powered by the in-house caliber 1120 QP, an ultra-thin automatic movement just 4.05 mm high. Entirely crafted within Vacheron Constantin’s Geneva workshops, the caliber comprises 276 components and 36 jewels, integrating a perpetual calendar with displays for day, date, month, leap-year cycle, moon-phase and age of the moon, alongside hours and minutes.

Finishing follows the discipline associated with the Maison’s high watchmaking tradition. The hidden mainplate carries circular graining, while the visible bridges display Côtes de Genève, angled bevels, polished sinks and precisely finished gear-train teeth. The openworked 22k gold oscillating weight — shaped as the Maltese cross — is decorated with the same linear Geneva stripes, reinforcing the watch’s continuity with the Manufacture’s aesthetic codes.

The dial architecture centers on legibility and proportion. A silver-toned opaline surface hosts three subdials arranged at 12, 3 and 9 o’clock for month, date and day, while the combined moon-phase and age-of-the-moon display sits at 6 o’clock.

Each version adopts a distinct visual interpretation:

Pink gold model — faceted Dauphine hands and baton markers in 18k 5N gold, paired with a dark-blue moon-phase and matching blue alligator strap.
White gold model — contrasted by hands and markers in 18k 5N pink gold, a lighter blue moon-phase disc, and a new light-brown alligator strap.
Diamond-set white gold model — monochromatic palette with white-gold hands and markers, 76 grain-set diamonds on the bezel, lugs and crown, and a dark-blue strap.

The perpetual calendar complication remains central to the brand’s heritage. Vacheron Constantin created its first perpetual calendar watch in 1884, now preserved in the Manufacture’s private collection. The mechanism automatically accounts for the irregularities of the Gregorian calendar — including leap years and alternating month lengths — requiring no adjustment until 2100.

The dimensions of the new models draw inspiration from the Reference 43031, launched in 1983. Introduced during the peak of the quartz crisis, Ref. 43031 became widely recognized as a landmark for mechanical watchmaking, helping reaffirm Vacheron Constantin’s leadership in the field.

As Sandrine Donguy, Product and Innovation Director, explains, the new 36.5 mm case remains close to the proportions of that historic reference:“Aside from its elegance and ergonomic comfort, the aesthetics of that watch demonstrated how the complex indications of a perpetual calendar can be displayed on a small dial with no loss of clarity or legibility.”

Donguy further emphasizes the Manufacture’s philosophy regarding ultra-thin watchmaking:“Our approach has never been about breaking records for their own sake. It is about balancing modern materials and design with the 18th-century Genevan watchmaking values that continue to define our identity.”

With these new additions, Vacheron Constantin reinforces its position as one of the few houses capable of creating ultra-thin perpetual calendars whose engineering, finishing and proportions remain consistent with both historical and contemporary standards of haute horlogerie.