Developing and crafting a tonneau-shaped calibre entirely in-house calls for exceptional mastery of mechanical horology. Openworking it and staging it within an ethereally light architecture represents the ultimate challenge. Such is precisely the tour de force Vacheron Constantin has accomplished with its new manual-winding Calibre 2790 SQ, beating at the heart of the Malte tourbillon openworked model.
The conception, modelisation and design of this calibre took the finest watchmakers and artisans of the Manufacture over 500 hours of striving to achieve the perfect balance between a fully functional tourbillon mechanism and the transparent openworked aesthetic. Depending on the angle from which the watch is viewed, a subtle interplay of light and shadow is created within the depths of the calibre, accentuated by the three-dimensional effect of the architectural motif.
Vacheron Constantin has devised an original architectural motif based on the shape of a triangle to provide a unique interpretation of hand engraving. The artisans of the Manufacture performed truly stunning work on the surface of the parts composing Calibre 2790 SQ. In a succession of meticulous strokes of the burin that sometimes involves working to the nearest tenth of a millimetre, they have created tiny triangles composed of recurrent straight lines creating a three-dimensional effects, before hand-drawing and chamfering the 246 parts of the calibre.
The construction of Calibre 2790 SQ is framed by a tonneau-shaped platinum case. Made in sapphire like the case-back, the dial is rimmed by a slate-grey ring featuring metallic hour-markers, while the minute circle is painted and the date, power-reserve and seconds indicators are engraved and inked. The tourbillon carriage at 6 o’clock spins over a Maltese Cross, sweeping the small seconds hand along with it.
The Malte Tourbillon Openworked model bears the prestigious Hallmark of Geneva. It is fitted with a hand-stitched black Mississippiensis alligator strap, equipped with a triple-blade folding clasp in platinum 950.
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