Front view
Dial, hands and bezel as delivered.
Case-back view
Case-back engraving and, where fitted, the sapphire display.
Movement
Calibre with its finishing and decoration.
On the wrist
Worn shot for proportion and strap drape.
Vacheron Constantin · Malte
Vacheron Constantin Malte 43 mm Blue Ceramic
Reference 11729OR.28
Reference at a glance
- Brand
- Vacheron Constantin
- Collection
- Malte
- Model
- Vacheron Constantin Malte 43 mm Blue Ceramic
- Reference number
- 11729OR.28
- Year / era
- 1981 · 1980s — quartz-crisis era
- Complication
- Chronograph
- Movement
- In-house manual-winding, hand-finished
- Case material
- Ceramic
- Dial type
- Blue "Grande Tapisserie"
- Strap / bracelet
- Rubber strap with titanium clasp
- Water resistance
- 500 m
- Limited-edition status
- Regular production, not a limited edition
Case, dial & bracelet
- Case dimensions
- 43 mm
- Case thickness
- 11.3 mm
- Case material
- Ceramic
- Bezel
- Baguette diamond rainbow
- Crystal
- Sapphire with internal AR treatment
- Dial
- Blue "Grande Tapisserie"
- Hands
- Mercedes hour hand with Chromalight display
- Indexes
- Applied Arabic numerals with luminous coating
- Bracelet / strap
- Rubber strap with titanium clasp
- Clasp / buckle
- Folding clasp in matching case metal
- Water resistance
- 500 m
Movement
- Movement / calibre
- Calibre 4A — In-house manual-winding, hand-finished
- Movement type
- Automatic, self-winding
- Frequency
- 21,600 vph (3 Hz)
- Power reserve
- 38 hours
- Number of jewels
- 40 jewels
- Complications
- Chronograph
- Functions
- Hours, minutes, seconds, date
- Watchmaker
- Assembled and regulated by a single watchmaker, who signs off the piece before casing.
Production & market
- Production period
- 1981 – 1984
- Limited-edition quantity
- Not applicable
- Current market information
- Thin secondary-market supply — pricing is set piece by piece at auction.
Designer
Gérald Genta
Gérald Genta (1931–2011) trained as a goldsmith in Geneva and became the most influential watch designer of the 20th century. Working freelance, he sketched the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak overnight in 1970, followed by the Patek Philippe Nautilus, the IWC Ingenieur SL and the Bulgari Bulgari — defining the integrated-bracelet luxury sports watch as a category.
Historical significance
Vacheron Constantin Malte 43 mm Blue Ceramic sits within Vacheron Constantin's Malte line, introduced in 1981. It carries the house codes established since 1755 — ceramic case, blue "grande tapisserie" dial and in-house manual-winding, hand-finished — and is one of the references collectors use to date the evolution of the collection.
Interesting facts
- Early production dials show a slightly different minute track, and collectors pay a premium for them.
- The case is finished by hand, alternating polished and satin-brushed surfaces in a single pass so the edges stay razor sharp.
The House
Vacheron Constantin
Brand facts
- Founding year
- 1755
- Founder
- Jean-Marc Vacheron
- Headquarters
- Switzerland
- Tier
- Ultra-Luxury & Haute Horlogerie
- Major collections
- Overseas, Patrimony, Traditionnelle, Fiftysix, Historiques, Malte, Egerie, Les Cabinotiers
- Signature technologies
- In-house hairspring production · Anti-magnetic silicon escapement
- Famous movements
- In-house tourbillon, manual-winding · In-house manual-winding, hand-finished · In-house automatic micro-rotor · In-house automatic with 22k gold rotor
- Notable watches
- Vacheron Constantin Overseas 36 mm Skeletonised Carbon (1984) · Vacheron Constantin Overseas 39 mm Salmon Ceramic (1986) · Vacheron Constantin Overseas 38 mm Salmon 18k (1981) · Vacheron Constantin Overseas 39 mm Skeletonised Ceramic (1975)
Brand history
Vacheron Constantin has spent more than 271 years refining a single idea: a watch should outlive its owner. From the earliest workshop pieces to today's Overseas, the house has balanced technical ambition with a recognisable design language, and its collections remain among the most closely followed by collectors worldwide.
Jean-Marc Vacheron established Vacheron Constantin in 1755, working from Switzerland at a time when precision was measured by hand. The founder's obsession with finishing and accuracy still defines every Vacheron Constantin calibre produced today.
Historical milestones
1755
Jean-Marc Vacheron founds Vacheron Constantin in Switzerland.
1795
Vacheron Constantin earns its first international recognition for precision timekeeping.
1969
The quartz era forces Vacheron Constantin to redefine mechanical watchmaking.
1990
Vacheron Constantin enters the modern collector market with its signature lines.
2024
Vacheron Constantin continues to produce Overseas, Patrimony, Traditionnelle and other icons in limited numbers.
More Malte
Vacheron Constantin Malte 38 mm Silvered Sapphire
Ref. 90388OR.39
Vacheron Constantin Malte 36 mm Meteorite Sapphire
Ref. 95806OR.17
Vacheron Constantin Malte 44 mm Mother-of-pearl Stainless
Ref. 70061ST.73
Vacheron Constantin Malte 39 mm Silvered 18k
Ref. 23694OR.10
Vacheron Constantin Malte 36 mm Meteorite Quartz
Ref. 80857OR.73