WHL[VC Moderator]
4922
Survey of the Caliber 1120
Sep 29, 2011,20:15 PM
In writing about the Historiques Ultra-fine 1968 and in thinking about
the idea of an ultra thin movement being its own complication, I
concluded that there is an inherent desirability to the caliber 1120 and
thus the watches in which Vacheron Constantin historically and
currently employs it. As a collector of Vacheron Constantin watches I
have paid just as much attention to the movements inside the watches I
pursue as I do to the cases, dials, and their respective conditions, and
some of my favorites have been powered by the 1120. This movement has
proven itself for over 40 years of service, is extremely attractive, and
is exclusive, as only Audemars Piguet and Vacheron Constantin have
access to the ebauche.
Being
thin, this caliber is well suited for skeletonization, and no one makes
a finer openworked watch than Vacheron Constantin. In this photo, the
caliber 1120 is in the watch on the right of this pair of diamond set
Patrimony Traditionnelle watches:
Being
thin also makes the movement an attractive base for driving
complications. In the past, the 1120 has been the base of the Mercator,
one of Vacheron Constantin's most iconic watches of the past twenty
years:
An under the dial view of the movement for the Mercator as well as the Heure Sautante and Saltarello, a pair of elegant and minimalistic Jump Hour watches.
Heure Sautante photo by Alex GhotbiSaltarello, with retrograding minute handfeaturing a skeletonized rotor with hand chasing In
1986 Vacheron Constantin introduced its first perpetual calendar
wristwatch and this basic movement is still used today. I was the lucky
owner of an early skeletonized example:
Vacheron Constantin has updated that design for use in both the Patrimony Traditionnelle QP openworked watch:
Photo by Amanico
and for the Patrimony Contemporaine QP, just introduced at SIHH, which I find to be supremely elegant:
Harking back to the early days of the caliber 1120, it is used in the Historiques Ultra-fine 1968:
The
most recent design to use the caliber 1120 is the limited edition
Excellence Platine Patirmony Contemporatine, featuring a 42 mm platinum
case and a sand-blasted platinum dial.
There
are many references from Vacheron Constantin that use the caliber 1120
that were not part of this survey, including many simple vintage dress
watches that can be had for a very reasonable financial outlay. If have a
favorite watch with this caliber, please share it in this thread.
As
I said at the beginning, one could build a great collection of watches
based on just this caliber. If you could only have one 1120-watch in
your collection, which model would you choose? And could you or would
you really keep yourself to having just one watch with this movement?
Bill