SIHH 2011 - Around the Palexpo

I am also impressed with Vacheron Constantin’s latest addition to its Quai de l’Ile series, the Retrograde Annual Calendar. I’m sure most of you know this innovative collection, where apart from the shape and size of the case and a few design elements, one can customize their watch by changing the materials, colours and so on. This time, the movement features the in-house 2460 QRA calibre, an automatic with small seconds, annual calendar with moon phase, and retrograde display. Up to 700 variations are possible within the 43mm case.
One of the leaders of the ‘thin is in’ movement, Piaget, has outdone itself with the Emperador Coussin Tourbillon Automatic, which sets a new record as the world’s thinnest tourbillon. Housed in its iconic cushion-shaped case is the 1270P automatic calibre, vibrating at 21,600vph, with an off-centred tourbillon carriage, and measuring a mere 5.35mm thick (that’s 1/10th of the length of the shortest tee!) Taking the team three years to develop, the watch is extremely complicated, first because of the tourbillon, and second, because of the oscillating weight for the automatic function, which in this case has been moved from the back to the dial. It really is something to behold.
Technical Mix
Be it from materials, complications or remarkable innovations in design, my favourites under this category prove that great tradition doesn’t always have to translate into the classic and understated.
Cartier for instance, was once again the source of fine watchmaking feats this year. The Rotonde de Cartier Astroregulateur is one such example. Carole Forestier-Kasapi’s team wanted to devise a more accurate alternative to the tourbillon, for combating the negative effects of gravity. Instead of rotating the balance wheel continuously, the Astroregulateur sort of does the opposite, with an escapement assembly attached to the rotor on the dial to keep the balance wheel continually in one position. With a case in niobium-titanium to absorb shocks, and a remarkable complex winding and gear train mechanism with four patents pending, this is definitely one for the books, and your wrist!
And if you liked last year’s Calibre de Cartier, you’ll love the latest version, which is a multiple time-zone watch. The in-house Calibre 9909MC indicates several hours simultaneously or individually on demand. It also provides the home time with day/night indication, the traveller time, the adjustment for summer, – and get this – the time difference between two selected time zones. Very cool.