VACHERON CONSTANTIN – Traditionelle World Time Gold Automatic Calibre 2460 WT NEW
Simultaneous reading of all world time zones,
highlighted with a gold map
The Maison is launching this year two new models of the Traditionnelle World Time in either
18K white or 18K 5N pink gold sublimated by a gold map in the center of their dial. In the heart of
the case, beat the Calibre 2460 WT, developed and manufactured by Vacheron Constantin. This
patented mechanical self-winding movement is distinguished by its capacity to indicate 37 world’s
time zones, including those offset from Universal Coordinated Time (UCT) by a half - or quarter-
hour.
The
Traditionnelle World Time by Vacheron Constantin highlight a complication inextricably bound to
the history of the Geneva-based manufacturer: world time. The latter is also interwoven with the
theme of travel, since
Jean-Marc Vacheron and his successors have constantly circled the globe
delivering their exceptional timepieces. A pioneer in the development and production of innovative
watches, the Manufacture has displayed the same approach in being resolutely open to the world at
large. Created in
1755 in Geneva and able to look back over
260 years of uninterrupted activity,
Vacheron Constantin soon began exploring the four corners of the world. It established a presence in
the
United States in
1832 and in
China in
1845 – well before the International Meridian Conference
held in Washington in
1884 which divided the world into 24 time zones, taking the Greenwich
meridian as the longitude 0 point of reference. This new approach became indispensable in keeping
step with the development of international travel and of railways.
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The rich history of world time at Vacheron Constantin
In keeping with the same pioneering spirit, and driven by a wish to demonstrate that the multiple
time-zone watch could be further perfected, the Maison introduced its first timepieces endowed
with an international time mechanism in
1932. This movement was the work of a brilliant Geneva
watchmaker,
Louis Cottier, who had imagined and developed a mechanical movement indicating the
24 time zones from 1 to 24 by means of a disc rotating around the central dial and the outer bezel
bearing the names of the world’s major cities.
Cottier's sketch for a world time dial
This first
Vacheron Constantin world time “Cottier system” watch enabled simultaneous read-off of the time in 31 cities around the world. It marked the start of a rich and longstanding relationship with the world time complication.
In
1936, the Maison presented two new versions of its world time model with a 31-city dial and a 30-city dial.
In
1937 and
1938, the Geneva-based Manufacture unveiled six table clocks with a mobile dial featuring
67 locations. From the
1940s onwards,
Vacheron Constantin attributed the reference number
4414 to a world time model with a 41-city dial and a day-night division of the mobile 24-hour disc.
from 1936
ref 4414 from 1946
During the
1940s and
1950s, many famous customers were captivated by this useful and ingenious
mechanism, and contributed to spreading the fame of this new complication.
In
1957,
Vacheron Constantin wrote a new chapter in its history of world time watches by
introducing the first world time wristwatch, reference
6213, ordered by an
Egyptian dignitary.
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A patented world time calibre
Eager to make a major new contribution to the history of this complication, the
Vacheron Constantin
master-watchmakers and engineers have launched a mechanical movement capable of indicating not
only the full time zones, but also the partial ones, so as to reflect the exact temporal reality in the 37
time zones. A number of countries have indeed adopted a half-hour or quarter-hour difference from
UTC, and the
Calibre 2460 WT by
Vacheron Constantin takes account of these specific characteristics.
By way of example, it provides the correct time indication for Caracas, since Venezuela decided in
2007 to switch from a full time zone to a half time zone (GMT – 4:30).
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The indication of the 37 time zones as proposed by the Maison in its
Traditionnelle World Time is as
complete as one could wish for. The display consists of three dials: a sapphire dial with a day-night
shading and the engraved and inked 24-hour indications (18:30 to 6:30 hours indications highlighted
with an anthracite-colored background); a metal dial with painted cities names and a “Lambert
projector” type gold map unveiling sun-brushed continents as well as sand-blasted seas; and a metal
external ring with painted minute-track and applied gold hour-markers.
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Beating at a frequency of 4 Hz (28,800 vibrations per hour) and endowed with a 40-hour power reserve, mechanical self-winding
Calibre 2460 WT drives displays of the hours, minutes, center seconds and world time. It enables
simultaneous read-off of the time in all regions of the world, along with the day-night indication
provided above the central world map crafted in gold. All indications are adjusted via the crown, thus
considerably simplifying the use of this highly technical watch. In light of these exclusive
developments, the
Vacheron Constantin Calibre 2460 WT – bearing the prestigious
Hallmark of
Geneva – own a patent featuring the indication of all the world’s 37 zone increments, the day-night
indication and the setting of all functions by the crown.
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Appreciable user friendliness
Despite its complex construction principles, the mechanical world time movement is extremely user-
friendly. The wearer chooses the reference time and places it opposite the black triangle at 6 o’clock.
The time in the reference location can then be read off either by the hour hand, or by the 24-hour
disc, while the time in the other 36 time zones is simultaneously readable. The cities shown in black
represent the full time zones, while the cities in red indicate half-hour or quarter-hour zones.
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Incorporating all the signature characteristics of the collection – a slender bezel, a knurled motif on
the back of the timepiece, a sapphire crystal caseback closed with screws, and dauphine-shaped
hands – the
Traditionnelle World Time comes with a 42.5 mm diameter 18K white gold or 18K 5N
pink gold case that is fitted with a Mississippiensis alligator leather strap secured by a gold folding
clasp.
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TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Model: TRADITIONNELLE World Time Gold Automatic Calibre 2460 WT
Reference: 86060/000R-8985
Reference: 86060/000G-8982
Hallmark of Geneva certified timepiece
Movement
Reference: Caliber 2460 WT
Developed and manufactured by Vacheron Constantin
Energy: automatic
Thickness (mm): 7.55
Diameter (mm): 36.60 (11''' ¼)
Number of parts: 255
Number of jewels: 27
Frequency: 4 Hz ( 28,800 v.p.h )
Power-reserve (hours): 40 approx.
Indication: center seconds, minutes, world time with day/night indication, hours
Certification: Hallmark of Geneva
Indications
Hours, minutes
Center seconds
World time indication (37 cities)
Day-night indication
Case
18K white gold / 18K 5N pink gold
42.5 mm diameter, 11.62 mm thick
Transparent sapphire crystal caseback
Water-resistance tested at a pressure of 3 bar (approx. 30 meters)
Dial
Superposition of 3 dials:
- Gold map with sun-brushed continents & sand-blasted seas.
Metal disc with cities names (in black for plain hours and in red for half-hours and quarters)
- Sapphire disc with day-night indication and engraved & inked 24-hour indications (18:30 to 6:30 hours indications highlighted with an anthracite-colored background)
- Metal external ring with painted minute-track and 18K gold hour-markers
Strap
Black / brown Mississippiensis alligator leather with alligator leather inner shell,
hand-stitched, saddle-finish, large square scales
Buckle:
18K white gold / 18K 5N pink gold folding clasp
Polished half Maltese cross-shaped
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Vacheron Constantin
Press Department
10, Chemin du Tourbillon
P.O. Box 95
CH-1228
Plan-les-Ouates/Geneva
Tel. +41 22 930 20 05
Fax +41 22 930 20 06
press@vacheron-constantin.com
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