Les Cabinotiers La Caravelle 1950

In Context

At 39 mm it sits just under the modern norm — the band that suits the widest spread of wrists. At 10.4 mm thick it is about average for a modern wristwatch. The case back is closed, so the movement stays out of sight, and the sapphire crystal will resist everything short of deliberate abuse. Rated to 30 m, it is protected against rain and splashes and nothing beyond that.

The movement is hand-wound, so winding it becomes part of the day rather than something the watch does for you. 65 hours of reserve is enough to set it down on Friday evening and find it still running on Monday. At 28,800 vph the seconds hand advances 8 times a second.

4308. stands on its own in this catalogue — no other reference here shares its base number. It pairs a multi-color guilloche dial with a pink gold case. It was a limited edition.

The 4400 is Vacheron Constantin's hand-wound movement with a 65-hour reserve, made for the Métiers d'Art and the Traditionnelle. It has 127 parts, 21 jewels and the Hallmark of Geneva in a 28.6 mm caliber. It powers 18 watches in this library. It beats at 28,800 vph and stores 65 hours in a single barrel, long for a hand-wound movement, with hours and minutes and no seconds, which leaves a decorated dial uninterrupted. The [4400 AS](/calibers/vacheron-constantin-4400-as) adds a small seconds for the Traditionnelle and the American 1921. In the library it powers 12 [Métiers d'Art](/brands/vacheron-constantin/metiers-d-art) references at 37 mm, the Florilège series with its enamel botanical plates among them, 4 [Traditionnelles](/brands/vacheron-constantin/traditionnelle), one [Les Cabinotiers](/brands/vacheron-constantin/artelier-cabinotiers-special-order) and one [Patrimony](/brands/vacheron-constantin/patrimony). 13 are limited editions. The [1400](/calibers/vacheron-constantin-1400) is the smaller hand-wound movement of the Patrimony, and the [2460 SC](/calibers/vacheron-constantin-2460-sc) the automatic beside it.

17 other watches in the library run the Vacheron Constantin 4400.

Vacheron Constantin

Traditionnelle Haute Joaillerie

82761/QC1G-9852 · 40 mm

Vacheron Constantin

Traditionnelle Diamond

82573/000R-9815 · 38 mm

Vacheron Constantin

Métiers d'Art Florilège Queen

82550/000G-9854 · 37 mm

Vacheron Constantin

Métiers d'Art Florilège Centifolia

82550/000G-9919 · 37 mm