Vacheron Constantin

respo
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Thanks, Nicolas

Thanks for your kind words, my friend. I appreciate your reading my amateur review.

I don't find any problem with the relation of the movement size to the case here. In fact, it did not even occur to me that there was any such issue in this instance as it has in relation to many other watches I have considered. We are working in this instance with a very thin caliber placed in an extremely thin case, and IMHO the proportions work very well.  I have personally backed off from the idea that every movement must fill the case. If we were stick to that notion too religiously, we might be forced to miss out on brilliant movements such as the 1003, the 1400, the 1141, and even, perhaps, the 1120 (AP cal 2120/2121, which can definitely better fill a case considerably smaller than 39mm).  

I think the relative proportions here are at least as good if not better than, say, the PP5070 or the JLC Master Ultra Thin. I myself have had to forgo the wonderful caliber 839 and Master Ultra Thin, and not because the movement is small compared to even the 34mm case let alone the 38mm one -- no, I just can't bring myself to wear a 34mm watch because both the movement and the watch look "lost" on my wide, flat wrist. Lord knows I have tried on the MUT many times always in vain hope.

VC has done a masterful job of placing the thinnest mechanical movement in a water resistant case that is suitable for larger wrists and for more modern tastes as well (even though many will still find 36mm too small in this day and age). I think even by forging this cal. 1003/3 in gold, showcasing it as a movement worthy of such treatment, helps to mollify the relation between the case and movement sizes, if that presents a problem for some. 

I believe one of the points of creating the 1955 was to allow a wider audience and perhaps even a next generation of WISes to experience the iconic cal 1003, and I don't think Vacheron had to compromise a single thing in doing so.

Thanks for stimulating my thinking on this aspect of the watch.  I had not considered it before.  You always make me think, Nicolas. 

Best,

respo

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