WHL[VC Moderator]
4922
My Favorite Vacheron Constantin Caliber
Sep 30, 2010,18:27 PM
I’ll need a few more words to help explain which is my favorite movement
from Vacheron Constantin. There are many outstanding choices in this
category, from vintage to modern and from simple to complicated, but if I
could choose only one, it would be the caliber 453 “family” of
movements.
This
is the engine that powered much of Vacheron Constantin’s production
through the 40’s and 50’s, and even in to the 1960’s. In its base form,
as caliber 453, it was a three-hand watch with sub seconds.
Caliber 454 added indirect center seconds, and you can see the extra parts along the plate for this layout:
The
base caliber 453 had seventeen jewels, was 28.80 mm in diameter, 4 mm
thick, and beat at 18,000 VPH. There are examples that have 18 jewels
and a stamped with the Geneva Seal. The addition of center seconds in
the caliber 454 added 1 mm to the height of the movement.
Even
more finely finished, and adjusted to 5 positions, was are the calibers
1007/BS and 1008/BS, based on the 453 and 454 respectively. These were
exclusive to the Chronometer Royal family of watches. The “BS” is for
“Balancier Stop,” which means the seconds hand stops when the crown is
pulled out to set the time. The lever across the bridge is the mechanism
by which the hacking function is affected.
This
is the finest finished movement that Vacheron Constantin produced for a
serially produced watch, and it is worth lingering over SteveG’s photo
of it that I repost here from his gallery post on this watch (Steve,
please post some more of your photos!).
Last
but not least, the 453 served as the base movement for Vacheron
Constantin much sought after vintage triple calendar watches, both with
and without moon phase, the calibers 485 and 495.
If
money were not an issue and I could only one Vacheron Constantin watch,
it would be a vintage Cioccolatone with the triple calendar:
Though
I do not have a photo of the works under the dial for the 485/495, I do
have this photo from under the dial of a standard 453. The finishing of
the keyless works and the application of perlage are both worthy of
mention.
Many
collectors, myself included, have been impressed with the quality and
reliability of the 453 family of movements. Well-maintained examples can
still be regulated to keep time to COSC specifications. There are not
many mechanical devices almost 70 years old that can work as well today
as they did on the day they were born. Indeed, the legendary Philippe
Dufour based his Simplicity movement on the rugged and reliable gear
train of the JLC ebauche upon which Vacheron Constantin built its 453
family of calibers, connecting this vintage classic to contemporary
watchmaking.
Bill