Details

Brand

Vacheron

Model

Traditionnelle

Reference

82172/000P

Movement

Manually Wound

Case

38 mm

Metal

Platinum

Circa

2013

Dial

Grey

Bezel

Platinum

Condition

Good

Box/Papers

Box Only (several additional straps)

About this watch

Band: Black Alligator Leather Clasp: Platinum (Pin Buckle) Glass: Sapphire crystal Water Resistant: 3 Bar (30 metres) Despite making watches for a quarter of a millennium, Vacheron Constantin took until 2013 to produce a 38 mm Traditionnelle in platinum. The brand is renowned for its meticulous hand finishing. Even the concave chamfering around the sinks in which lubricated rubies minimise friction is flawlessly and painstakingly finished by hand. Platinum, a noble metal, is around 10 per cent more dense than 18ct gold, is hypoallergenic, and is considered by many (including François-Paul Journe) to be the most prestigious precious metal for watchmaking. This platinum Vacheron appears to be an unassuming steel watch to the uninitiated; however, at three times the weight of the same watch in steel, there will be no doubt in the mind of the wearer that this is an exceptional timepiece. Made from PT950, the 38 mm case has a lug-to-lug of 45.60 mm, a lug width of 20 mm, and a depth of just 7.77 mm. It is pressure-resistant to 3 bar (30 m); however, it is a dress watch not intended for submersion. The anthracite-grey monochromatic dial is understated and elegant. The Dauphine hands and hour markers, made from white gold, are faceted and polished. There is a sunken running seconds sub-dial at 6 featuring concentric snailing surrounded by a Chemin de Fer (railway) minute track motif that is carried over to the outer dial. The Vacheron Constantin logo, a Maltese cross, is hand-applied to the dial and is made from the same 18ct white gold as the handset. Protecting the dial is a scratch- and glare-resistant, man-made sapphire crystal. Vacheron has chosen to coat only the inside of the crystal with an antireflective coating, minimising glare in…