The new calendar Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Twin Beat Perpetual with a "normal" power reserve of 4 days, it presents a revolutionary novelty: the "Standby Mode".

The movement shifts to a lower frequency and the power reserve goes up to 65 days!
Anyone who owns a hand-wound perpetual calendar knows how many and what problems there are in setting the calendar indications after it has been stopped for some time. The solution of Vacheron Constantin this problem is simply brilliant, equipping this perpetual calendar with a large mainspring, two gear trains, each with its own oscillator that “ticks” at a different frequency, 5Hz or 1.2Hz. Presented in a very wearable size, the watch has a 950 platinum case measuring 42mm in diameter and 12,3mm in height.

At the 12 o'clock position we find the power reserve indicator, which shows two aligned scales, one for the so-called active mode with 4 days of power reserve and one for the standby mode with 65 days.

In the lower half there are three sub-quadrants, one for the months, one for the date and between these two is the indication for leap years. At 9 o'clock there is an indicator for the selected mode: Active mode with a frequency of 5 Hz or standby mode with a frequency of 1,2 Hz. The hour and minute hands have two different finishes, one side is polished and the the other side is granulated for greater readability.

The top of the watch face features a sort of half-face dial and the bottom of it mainly shows the movement and some gears.

By turning the watch, the decoration of the movement looks very modern, with a dark coating. The slabs and decks are decorated with Côtes de Genève and then treated with NAC, which is a dark coating that is stronger and more durable than a PVD coating.

When wearing the watch, the watch is kept in 5Hz mode (36.000 vibrations per hour); by means of a button at 8 o'clock, it is possible to switch the movement to the frequency of 1,2 Hz (8,640 vibrations per hour) and in this position the clock continues to operate, indicating all the functions of the calendar, for a period of time not less than two months!


It must be said that the 1,2 Hz mode is not meant for wearing the watch, as the mechanism oscillates at a very slow pace and therefore less accurate and more vulnerable. When the watch is in this mode it is best to keep the watch in a level position

The new Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Twin Beat Perpetual Calendar is a truly spectacular timepiece, encompassing far more technical feats than we can describe in this brief first look. This will certainly be among the most talked about watches at the fair, if not the most talked about watch.

The price will be EUR 210.000. Production will remain quite low, as five pieces are expected in 2019.