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02. Vacheron Constantin Historiques Ultra fine
Vacheron Constantin are one of Switzerland’s greatest masters of ultra thin watchmaking. As far back as 1911, they produced three calibers each measuring just 2.82mm thick and in 1931, set a world record for a mechanical pocket watch movement measuring just 0.94mm.
Celebrating this heritage, the Historiques Ultra fine collection consists of two dress watch models, one in a round case, the 1955, and a square case model, the 1968. As implied by their names, they are re-interpretations of watches from Vacheron Constantin’s past. In the 1950s and 1960s, Vacheron Constantin produced the world’s thinnest wristwatches, and with the launch of the Historiques Ultra Thin 1955 and 1968 at the SIHH in 2010, they proudly paid homage with these tribute models in manual and self-winding ultra-thin movements.
Increasing the diameter of the original 4961 model from 32 to a more contemporary 36mm, the updated 1955 model is also slimmer. The in-house manual wind movement is according to Vacheron Constantin, currently the world’s thinnest mechanical hand-wound watch, at just 4.10 mm thick. The 1955 and 1968 Ultra Fine models are neo-classical dress watches with a reference to the brand’s rich history of innovation, but not just technically impressive, they also feature meticulous movement decoration and an exceptional degree of finishing which earned them the prestigious Hallmark of Geneva. Awarded only when a movement meets 12 technical and style criteria. Retails for $26,000. vacheron-constantin.com
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