The Vacheron Constantin Patrimony Contemporaine Calibre 1731 made its record claim at launch in 2013: its 3.90 mm movement and 8.09 mm watch were described at the time as the thinnest in their respective categories. Those figures remain useful specifications, but they do not establish that the watch holds an absolute market-wide record today. Vacheron Constantin now calls the calibre “one of the thinnest minute repeater calibres on the market.”
What records did the Calibre 1731 watch claim?
At its 2013 introduction, reference 30110/000R-9793 was presented as an ultra-thin minute repeater. The Watch Observer’s launch-era report described the 3.90 mm Calibre 1731 as the thinnest minute-repeater movement and the 8.09 mm overall watch as the thinnest minute-repeater watch at that time. These are historical, launch-era claims, not a verified current ranking across the market. The Watch Observer’s 2013 specification and report provides the original context.
Vacheron Constantin’s catalogue lists the movement at 3.9 mm and describes it more cautiously as “one of the thinnest minute repeater calibres on the market.” The catalogue wording does not identify a specific ranking or comparison set. Vacheron Constantin’s Calibres Grandes Complications catalogue
What are the watch and movement specifications?
| Specification | Patrimony Contemporaine reference 30110/000R-9793 |
|---|---|
| Case | 18K 5N rose gold, 41 mm diameter |
| Overall thickness | 8.09 mm, according to The Watch Observer’s 2013 launch-era specification |
| Dial | Silvered opaline with small seconds |
| Movement | Manual-winding Calibre 1731, 32.80 mm diameter and 3.90 mm thick |
| Components | 265, according to the 2013 specification |
| Frequency | 21,600 vibrations per hour, according to the 2013 specification |
| Power reserve | Approximately 65 hours in The Watch Observer’s 2013 specification; the manufacturer catalogue also lists 65 hours |
| Certification | Geneva Seal, according to the 2013 specification |
| Water resistance | The Watch Observer said the 2013 model was not water resistant |
The dimensions, configuration and included accessories above describe the launch-era reference, not a guarantee of current production or supply. The Watch Observer reported that the watch was supplied with a “La Musique du Temps” resonator intended to amplify its sound; that historical detail does not establish what accompanies any watch offered today. The 65-hour reserve is also listed in Vacheron Constantin’s current catalogue for Calibre 1731.
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How does the minute repeater work?
A minute repeater sounds the time on demand. When activated, it uses distinct tones to indicate the hours, quarter-hours and remaining minutes: low notes mark hours, paired low and high notes mark quarter-hours, and high notes mark minutes. The 2013 Patrimony Contemporaine description identifies a side slider as the activation control.
Calibre 1731 uses a silent flying strike governor to regulate the striking mechanism. The Watch Observer contrasts it with conventional anchor-type governors, which can be audible during operation. The design is intended to limit that mechanical sound while the repeater chimes.
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Why is the movement called Calibre 1731?
The name refers to 1731, the year identified by the sources as the birth year of Jean-Marc Vacheron, the company’s founder. Hodinkee’s launch coverage also reports four years of development for the calibre and its approximately 65-hour power reserve. Hodinkee’s coverage of the 2013 introduction
The 1731 sits within a long history of Vacheron Constantin striking watches. The Watch Observer dates the company’s first minute-repeater pocket watch to 1810. It also notes the earlier Calibre 1755, which measured 3.28 mm thick—thinner than the 1731. The 1731’s distinction should therefore not be described as thinner than that predecessor; the 2013 article attributes the added thickness to the 1731’s longer power reserve.
Quick Recap
What the record claim does—and does not—tell you
- It documents a launch-era distinction: the reported 3.90 mm calibre and 8.09 mm case thickness were presented as category-leading in 2013.
- It is not proof of a current world record: the available manufacturer catalogue uses the qualified phrase “one of the thinnest,” and no market-wide ranking is established by the cited sources.
- Movement and watch thickness are different measures: the calibre’s 3.90 mm height is not the same as the complete watch’s 8.09 mm case thickness.
- It is a combination of thinness and striking function: the watch pairs a slim manual movement with an on-demand repeater and a 65-hour reserve, rather than making thinness its only stated technical feature.
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