Tap the image to enlarge
Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle 38mm White Gold
Ref. 87172-000G
The Traditionnelle is Vacheron Constantin's clearest statement of what Geneva watchmaking looks like when it answers to no brief other than itself. This reference carries the Hallmark of Geneva — a certification stricter than COSC and one the movement earns through its construction rather than simply its accuracy — which means the calibre 2455 beneath the exhibition caseback has been finished by hand to a standard the hallmark's inspectors verify independently. That caseback reveals the terms of the work: Côtes de Genève striping laid by abrasive wheel, and a 22-karat gold rotor that has been engraved by hand. At 38mm with a case thickness just over 8mm, the proportions are genuinely slender for an automatic — the movement's 194 components have been arranged to leave little room to spare. The stepped lower case and lugs pull the watch's footprint back toward the wrist rather than projecting outward, so it disappears under a shirt cuff in the way that only the thinnest automatics manage. The dial places the small seconds at 9 o'clock against the date at 3, an asymmetry that holds the layout in balance rather than leaving one side heavy. White gold Dauphine hands with alternating polished and matte facets catch raking light cleanly; the alligator strap closes with a tang buckle shaped as a stylised Maltese cross, a small piece of house vocabulary that is easy to miss and harder to forget once noticed.
- Reference
- 87172-000G
- Brand
- Vacheron Constantin
- Collection
- Traditionnelle
- Case size
- 38mm
- Case thickness
- 8mm
- Case material
- White gold
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Silver
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- 2455
- Functions
- Date, Small seconds
- Water resistance
- 30m
- Bracelet / strap
- Leather strap
- Strap colour
- Black
- Clasp
- Buckle
- Lume
- Luminous
- Condition
- Pre-owned
- Retailer
- Mappin & Webb
Additional specifications
- Lug-to-lug
- 45.8mm
- Power reserve
- 40 hours
Learn more about Vacheron Constantin
Jean-Marc Vacheron signed his first apprenticeship contract in Geneva in 1755, an act that begins the longest unbroken run of watchmaking in the industry. The house has produced watches every year since — through the French occupation of Geneva, two world wars, and the quartz crisis that killed most of its contemporaries.
The decisive partnership came in 1819, when François Constantin joined Jacques-Barthélémi Vacheron and supplied the motto still carried today: do better if possible, and that is always possible. Constantin travelled Europe selling the watches while Vacheron built them, an arrangement that turned a Geneva workshop into an international house.
In 1839 the company hired Georges-Auguste Leschot, whose pantograph allowed movement components to be made to consistent dimensions. It was among the first serious steps toward interchangeable parts in Swiss watchmaking, and it let the house scale complication work without surrendering hand finishing.
Vacheron is the senior member of the so-called holy trinity alongside Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet, and remains the reference for Geneva finishing: hand-applied anglage, the Maltese cross emblem taken from a movement component, and a catalogue running from plain three-handers to the most complicated wristwatches ever assembled. The Overseas, introduced in the 1990s and descended from the 222 of 1977, is the modern volume model.
The house has belonged to Richemont since 1996.
- 1755
- Jean-Marc Vacheron establishes his workshop in Geneva.
- 1819
- François Constantin joins; the firm becomes Vacheron & Constantin.
- 1839
- Georges-Auguste Leschot introduces the pantograph for consistent components.
- 1977
- The 222 launches, ancestor of the Overseas.
- 1996
- Acquired by Richemont.
Also in 6 collections
This watch appears in Back in Stock (4,868), Automatic Watches (1,750), Leather Strap Watches (1,037), Silver Dial Watches (715), Dress Watches (557) and Pre-Owned, Ex-Display & Vintage Watches (369).
What the specifications mean
A slim watch on leather, made for wearing with a shirt.
Strengths
- 38mm suits most wrists
- 8mm is unusually slim for a 38mm case
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
Worth knowing
- 30m means keeping it away from water
- 40-hour reserve means winding it after a day off
Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | 87172-000G | Q1362501 | 102714 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £16,550 | £16,050 | £17,325 |
| Case size | 38mm | 39mm | 40mm |
| Water resistance | 30m | 50m | 30m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Leather strap | Leather strap | Leather strap |
| Power reserve | 40 hours | 43 hours | 65 hours |
| This watch |
|
|
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
No. At 30m it will survive rain and handwashing, but not submersion of any kind.
Water resistance explainedWill the glass scratch?
Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.
Sapphire, mineral and acrylic comparedDoes it need a battery?
No. It is automatic — the motion of your wrist winds it, and there is no cell to replace.
Quartz, automatic and solar comparedHow long does it run for when it's not worn?
About 40 hours fully wound — enough to survive a night off the wrist, but not a full weekend.
Will it fit my wrist?
Lug-to-lug is 45.8mm, which suits wrists from roughly 16cm (6¼ inches) upward.
Lug-to-lug decides fit more than case diameter does.
How to size a watch to your wristIs it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as men's, though at 38mm it sits in the range that suits anyone.
Cheapest place to buy
Mappin & Webb is the only UK retailer we track stocking this reference, so there is nothing to compare it against today.
More Vacheron Constantin watches like the Traditionnelle
In stock, and close on style and price
