Two models with two new calibres have been launched by the Swiss watchmaker in preparation for SIHH 2017, and one of them will set you back $500,000.

We all know the Swiss are known for their punctuality, but Vacheron Constantin is pushing the concept even further. With SIHH 2017 more than three months away, the Richemont brand is already ahead of the game with two new releases. The early bird catches the worm, right?

Let’s see what will be waiting for us at the Geneva fair next January.

First up we have the Traditionnelle minute repeater tourbillon. It’s a new release well into the “prestige” market segment, with a price tag on either side of half million dollars, depending on the choice of either rose gold or platinum.

Now that we got the scary price out of the way, we can appreciate the watch’s two major complications that are driven by a new in-house caliber. An original 2755 TMR movement is crafted of 471 parts with 40 jewels, featuring hand-crafted finishing that meet the highest watchmaking standards. The hand-winding movement beats at a slower frequency than more recent releases, and provides just over two days’ power reserve.

In this case, I might appreciate the aesthetics of the watch a bit more than the movement itself. As we’ve come to expect from this range, the minute track and indices are offset towards the upper part of the dial, providing a more elongated look. That design choice makes the extra space for the tourbillon carriage below, which is fashioned in the shape of the brand’s famous Maltese cross emblem.

The second pre-SIHH release is the more modestly priced Patrimony Moon Phase Retrograde Date, which costs less than 10% of the Traditionnelle, priced at a comparatively reasonable $39,900.

This model is inspired by those created by the Maison in the 1950s, which explains its minimalist and elegant design. The 42.5 mm timepiece comes in either pink gold or white gold versions, both of which have wonderfully executed cases.

The moon phase complication is accurate for up to 122 years and also displays the age of the moon – meaning the number of days that have elapsed since the last new moon. This feature is paired with a second complication - the retrograde date display that is found in the upper half of the dial.

The two complications are powered by the new automatic 2460 R31L movement, which can be appreciated from the showcase sapphire back. Unfortunately most of the movement is blocked from view because of the relatively large rotor. It’s not all bad however – the rotor is made of 22k gold rotor, which isn’t the worst thing to look at.