Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Tourbillon Chronograph Excellence Platine: a long name, a lot of platinum & a lot to like
Jamie WeissIt’s fair to say that 2024 has been an impactful year for Vacheron Constantin. At Watches and Wonders in Geneva, the 269-year-old brand did nothing less than unveil the most complicated watch ever made, the Les Cabinotiers Berkley Grand Complication – although in typical Vacheron fashion, the brand didn’t make that much noise about it. To ape the brand’s motto, it was just “one of not many” of the watches released this year, at least in terms of the fuss made.
Anyway, you’d think that a timepiece of that magnitude would be the natural candidate in any ranking of the brand’s best releases of the fair. But actually, it wasn’t that hefty pocket watch that most turned my eye in Geneva. Instead, it was the Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Tourbillon Chronograph Excellence Platine that really impressed me, which isn’t just one of the “most platinum” watches made in recent memory, but a truly glorious yet surprisingly understated example of haute horlogerie.
The case
This lengthily named watch, also known as the ref. 5100T/000P-H041 (which is equally unwieldy), belongs to the Collection Excellence Platine. This designation was started by Vacheron Constantin in 2006, exclusively composed of exceptional models issued in limited editions and, you guessed it, made from platinum – the most prized of metals.
At 42.5mm in diameter, it’s not a small watch, but being only 11.7mm thick (impressive for a watch this complicated), it actually sits rather nicely, especially on a larger wrist like mine. The entire case is polished, letting that platinum glow in all its silvery, white glory.
A finishing detail worth pointing out is its fluted caseback: a flourish that’s barely visible when the watch is strapped to one’s wrist, but yet another demonstration of Vacheron’s savoir-faire. That said, if you ever owned one of these watches, you’d probably spend just as much time admiring its caseback as its dial, as the Traditionnelle Tourbillon Chronograph Excellence Platine isn’t just pretty from the dial side… More on that in a bit.
The dial
A common feature of Collection Excellence Platine watches is that, with the exception of their hour markers and hands (which are crafted from white gold), the entire watch – the case, the dial, the crown, the strap buckle – is made of 950 platinum. Yes, you read that right: the entire dial is made from a single piece of finely-grained 950 platinum, denoted by an almost invisible hallmark at 4:30. It’s such a subtle flex.
The hands might not be platinum but they’re still pretty special. The dauphine-style hour and minute hands are half-polished and half-micro-blasted to aid legibility – a thoughtful and masterful touch – while the chronograph and power reserve hands are blued, matching the watch’s strap. These hands are complemented by restrained subdials and simple yet handsome railway-style minute and tachymeter tracks.
If a single-piece platinum dial wasn’t enough of a differentiating factor, the Traditionnelle Tourbillon Chronograph Excellence Platine’s namesake tourbillon, which is mounted at 12 o’clock rather than the usual 6 o’clock, also provides plenty of flair. A 45-minute chronograph counter can be found at 3 o’clock, a power reserve indicator at 6 o’clock, and a Vacheron Constantin logo at 9 o’clock. Some of the discourse around this watch has been regarding the slight imbalance between the logo and the 3 o’clock subdial, but I personally quite like the subtle asymmetry on display here.
Like other Vacheron Constantin tourbillon models, this watch’s tourbillon cage – which is shaped like a Maltese cross – features a blackened screw at one of its points, so you can use it as a small seconds indicator, a classically thoughtful design cue. A fact that always blows my mind about VC tourbillons is that their carriages’ conical suspension bars take a whopping 12 hours to polish by hand alone.
The strap
The Traditionnelle Tourbillon Chronograph Excellence Platine features a strap made from robust, dark blue alligator leather, as you’d expect on a Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle. However, it boasts a particularly opulent Excellence Platine touch: the stitching is made from silk braided with platinum thread, which sparkles as it catches the light. I think this is a particular extravagance that’s demonstrative of both Vacheron Constantin’s attention to detail, as well as its panache. I shudder to think how much it would cost to replace one, though…
The movement
Under the hood of the Traditionnelle Tourbillon Chronograph Excellence Platine beats the in-house, manual-winding Calibre 3200, a movement first developed in 2015 for Vacheron Constantin’s 260th anniversary. It was designed from the ground up to be a monopusher chronograph with a tourbillon regulator, as opposed to being an amalgam of different movements.
While it does beat at the rather leisurely rate of 2.5 Hertz, it boasts a 65-hour power reserve, and is beautifully finished, having received the Poinçon de Genève. It’s all about the details here: curvaceous bridges resplendent in côtes de Genève, with beautifully bevelled edges and a column wheel topped with a Maltese cross motif. It’s also a treat to use, with a satisfyingly crinkly winding click, and a crisp, confidence-inspiring chronograph pusher.
The verdict
Look, you can probably tell by now I really like this watch. I’m already on the record as saying it was my favourite watch of Geneva Watch Week 2024. What makes this Traditionnelle Tourbillon Chronograph Excellence Platine so compelling – and indeed what makes Vacheron Constantin so compelling – is how it contrasts extremely traditional and subtle watchmaking with modern, vivacious touches. The dial layout is a great example of this: on the one hand, it’s really classic, but then, putting the tourbillon at 12 and laying out the subdials like so provides a modern twist.
I also love how weirdly subtle this watch is. Okay, a 42.5mm platinum tourbillon watch, worth well into the six figures, is hardly going to fly under the radar, yet it exudes a sort of restrained, confident quality. I love its contradictions, I love its opulence, and I love its classiness. It’s not the most complicated watch Vacheron has ever made, but the feelings it inspires are certainly multitudinous.
Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Tourbillon Chronograph Excellence Platine pricing & availability
The Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Tourbillon Chronograph Excellence Platine is a limited edition of 50 individually numbered pieces and is exclusively available at Vacheron Constantin boutiques. Price: upon request.
| Brand | Vacheron Constantin |
| Model | Traditionnelle Tourbillon Chronograph Excellence Platine |
| Reference | 5100T/000P-H041 |
| Case Dimensions | 42.5mm (D) x 11.7mm (T) |
| Case Material | 950 platinum |
| Water Resistance | 30 metres |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire front and back |
| Dial | 950 platinum, 18k white gold indices and hands |
| Bracelet | Dark blue alligator leather, 950 platinum clasp and stitching |
| Movement | 3200, in-house, manual-winding, 2.5Hz, Geneva Seal |
| Power Reserve | 65 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, monopusher chronograph, tourbillon, power reserve |
| Availability | 50 numbered pieces, boutique exclusive |
| Price | POA |