Overseas Self Winding Ultra-Thin

NEW ULTRA-THIN MANUFACTURE CALIBRE 2550

INNOVATION AT THE SERVICE OF PERFORMANCE

7 years of development

2.4 mm thick

80-hour power reserve

An innovative system designed to enhance performance A new Overseas Self-Winding Ultra-Nin reference

Embargo lifted on 14 April, 2026 at 00.01AM CET

A new ultra-thin self-winding manufacture movement in the lineage of the legendary Calibre 1120.

A thickness of 2.4 mm.

An 80-hour power reserve.

An innovative ensemble combining a micro-rotor, a suspended double barrel and a compact single-level gear train.

Vacheron Constantin unveils a new self-winding ultra-thin movement, Calibre 2550, offering an 80-hour power reserve while measuring just 2.4 mm in thickness. Seven years of research and development, aimed at enhancing performance, led to the design of an innovative architecture combining a micro-rotor, a suspended double barrel and a compact single-level gear train. Calibre 2550 makes its debut in a new watch crafted in 950 platinum and measuring 39.5 mm in diameter: the Overseas Self-Winding Ultra-Min.

THE HERITAGE OF ULTRA-THIN MOVEMENTS

Vacheron Constantin’s expertise in ultra-thin movements reflects a technical mastery placed at the service of horological elegance. Me Maison has developed important know-how in the miniaturisation of mechanical calibres, both in the field of complications and in watches displaying the essential indications of time. In 1955, at the occasion of its bicentenary, Vacheron Constantin unveiled the Calibre 1003, a manual-winding movement measuring a mere 1.64 mm in thickness — a symbol of watchmaking excellence and of the perfect balance between extreme miniaturisation, reliability and finishing quality. In 1968, the self-winding Calibre 1120 was introduced with a height of just 2.45 mm. Bearing the prestigious Hallmark of Geneva, it is still regarded today as a masterpiece for its slenderness and the technical solutions it provides in terms of reliability and precision. Manks to its ingenious and harmonious architecture, it has remained for decades the reference ultra-thin movement within the Maison’s catalogue, highly prized by collectors and connoisseurs of fine watchmaking.

Me new Calibre 2550 continues in the footsteps of the legendary 1120 while incorporating the Manufacture’s latest technical innovations.

CALIBRE 2550, A CONCENTRATION OF INNOVATION

In keeping with the Maison’s guiding principle “Do better if possible, and that is always possible”, the watchmakers and engineers spent seven years developing solutions aimed at improving performance in terms of slimness and autonomy. Mey devised an innovative ensemble composed of three key elements — a micro-rotor, a suspended double barrel, and a compact gear train — enabling this optimisation within a confined space measuring 30.6 mm in diameter and 2.4 mm in height. A series of rigorous tests, particularly relating to ageing and shock resistance, ensures the reliability and precision of this new movement configuration.

CALIBRE 2550, A CONCENTRATION OF INNOVATION

• Ne bidirectional micro-rotor

Integrating the micro-rotor directly into the mainplate provides a significant gain in thickness. To optimise winding efficiency, it is crafted from 950 platinum, one of the densest metals, and measures 15.5 mm in diameter.

• Ne suspended double barrel

Coupled with the micro-rotor, the suspended double barrel delivers an 80-hour power reserve, remarkable for a movement of such minimal thickness. To achieve this, Vacheron Constantin’s engineers adopted an original configuration designed to maximise the available space within the calibre: two superimposed barrels pivot on a single post fixed to the barrel bridge. Meir serial assembly — stacked one above the other in inverted orientation — made it possible to remove one of the barrel covers, significantly contributing to the movement’s slenderness. As the winding torque is transmitted directly to the upper barrel while energy is delivered by the lower barrel to the finishing gear, the ratchet could also be eliminated. Although positioned one above the other, the two barrels operate in series, coupled through their respective arbors. Mis configuration ensures very stable torque and therefore chronometric stability.

• A compact single-level gear train

Me integration of the micro-rotor into the mainplate, combined with the suspended double barrel and the 3 Hz balance (21,600 vibrations/hour), required a complete rethinking of the gear train’s layout within a restricted space and on a single level. Me result is a five-wheel gear train, two of which are mounted on ball bearings. Mis slimmer and more compact architecture ensures optimal efficiency while reinforcing the movement’s robustness.

Me ultra-thin self-winding Calibre 2550 benefits from hand-crafted finishing executed in the purest fine watchmaking tradition. Me mainplate is circular-grained, while the bevelled bridges are decorated with Geneva stripes. Me upper barrel drum is snailed, harmonising with the satin-finished barrel drum visible on the dial side. Me wheels are sunburst-finished. Me micro-rotor displays a circular satin finish around its periphery, an inner grained surface and a polished motif evoking a compass rose.

OVERSEAS SELF-WINDING ULTRA-THIN, LIMITED EDITION OF 255 INDIVIDUALLY NUMBERED PIECES

Me new Overseas Self-Winding Ultra-Min reference features a case, bracelet and clasp crafted in 950 platinum, a first for the collection. Me platinum 950 alloy used contains 5% copper and gallium, a composition still rare in the watchmaking world. Benefiting from a thermal hardening treatment that enhances its mechanical properties, this optimised alloy offers 2.7 times greater resistance than the platinum 950 typically used in the industry. With increased strength and hardness, the watch provides improved resistance to scratches and shocks.

With its refined, almost minimalist aesthetic, the timepiece features a sunburst satin finished salmon-lacquered dial, complemented by a velvet-finished peripheral minute track. Me harmonious pairing of platinum with a salmon-coloured dial forms part of the Maison’s heritage, embodied by several historical models from the 1940s. More recently, it recalls the Traditionnelle perpetual calendar chronograph introduced in 2022.

Following in the footsteps of the ultra-thin reference 2000V in white gold launched in 2016, the Overseas Self-Winding Ultra-Min features a reduced diameter of 39.5 mm. With a thickness of 7.35 mm, it becomes the thinnest Overseas model ever created. It retains the attributes of the Overseas collection, including three tool-free interchangeable straps.

QUESTIONS TO CHRISTIAN SELMONI DIRECTOR OF STYLE & HERITAGE

What is Vacheron Constantin’s legacy in the field of ultra-thin calibres?

At Vacheron Constantin, watchmaking technique has always been guided by aesthetic considerations and a constant pursuit of elegance. Mis approach has led the Maison to develop recognised expertise in the creation of ultra-thin movements. It is also worth noting that although timepieces of extreme slenderness are not complications in the strict sense, they nonetheless represent a major technical challenge. For generations of watchmakers at the Manufacture, particularly since the early 20th century, this quest for thinness has inspired numerous technical achievements and led to several records in this field. Me key to this process of miniaturisation lies in producing components of extreme thinness while preserving the overall robustness and stability of the calibre — both essential to ensuring chronometric precision. Vacheron Constantin distinguished itself early on in this field, notably with a platinum pocket watch produced in 1931 whose movement measures an astonishing 0.94 mm in thickness. Mis technical feat was echoed in the 1950s and 1960s with the manual-winding Calibre 1003 and the self-winding Calibre 1120, which marked their era with respective thicknesses of 1.64 mm and 2.45 mm. But these are far from the only examples. In the field of complications, the Maison has also distinguished itself with ultra-thin calibres such as the 13-ligne repeater movement developed in the 1940s, measuring 3.2 mm in thickness, and its successor, the Calibre 1731, also a minute repeater, with a height of 3.9 mm.

Does this pursuit of slenderness extend beyond Vacheron Constantin’s classic watches?

Me quest for elegance and refinement — one of the fundamental principles guiding creation at Vacheron Constantin — informs the design of all its watches, not only those considered “dress watches”. Even when developing sports models, the objective remains to preserve balanced aesthetics and a strong sense of harmony in the treatment of shapes and volumes. Me robustness, functionality and versatility expected of such timepieces are therefore combined with particularly careful attention to case proportions — always kept as slender as possible — as well as to dial legibility and the quality of finishing.

"EXPLORE ALL WAYS POSSIBLE", VACHERON CONSTANTIN ANNUAL THEME

“Do better if possible, and that is always possible”

Vacheron Constantin’s motto, originating in the writings of François Constantin in 1819, is a call to constantly push the boundaries of excellence and creativity, wherever it may lead...

Going beyond the limits of watchmaking mechanics, discovering new cultural and artistic horizons, exploring heritage and patrimony: all these are incentives for exploration undertaken by all ways possible, to look further, think differently, and unleash creative energy.

By opening itself to the world, the Maison has found its calling: to make the measurement of time a vast field of research and discovery, encompassing technical, historical, and cultural aspects.

«Explore All Ways Possible»: in collaboration with Chinese artist and illustrator Shan Jiang, takes us through a wonderful and poetic journey, where exploration is a source of wonder, innovation and knowledge.

Shan Jiang, a highly acclaimed illustrator, infuses his work with the influence of his hometown, Shanghai. In his creations, he blends skyscrapers and bungalows, traditional superstitions, contemporary concepts and ideologies, and thriving subcultures. His artistic inspirations include Chinese meticulous art, Ukiyo-e, the Bauhaus, Dürer, Jean Giraud, and Eduardo Paolozzi. His artistic approach, often characterized by meticulous detail and boundless imagination, aligns with the House’s values of excellence and innovation, particularly through exploration.