Watch Paparazzi

Royal Abdulaziz Al Rasheed spotted wearing Vacheron Constantin

Dr. Abdulaziz Al Rasheed, the Saudi royal and cultural commentator known across the Gulf for his outspoken commentary and refined tastes, surfaced on Instagram in a mirror selfie — face masked, blazer sharp — with a rose gold Vacheron Constantin Malte Tourbillon Openworked riding his wrist. The tonneau silhouette is unmistakable, and the skeletonized dial catches light even in a casual phone-camera grab.

The Malte Tourbillon Openworked is built around Calibre 2790 SQ, a hand-wound movement beating at 18,000 vph with a 45-hour power reserve. What makes this calibre exceptional is not its technical spec sheet alone but its finishing: every bridge, wheel, and plate has been individually hand-engraved at Vacheron Constantin's Le Brassus atelier, a process that demands extraordinary hours from craftsmen trained specifically in this decorative discipline. The result is an alternating play of light and shadow across geometrical relief — a movement that reads differently at every angle. The 18k rose gold tonneau case measures 38 × 48.24 mm with a curved, ergonomic profile that follows the wrist naturally, keeping significant visual mass from feeling unwieldy.

From a collector's standpoint, the Malte Tourbillon Openworked occupies a specific and respected niche. It is not a contemporary skeleton watch chasing trend; it is a direct continuation of Vacheron Constantin's 19th-century grand complication tradition, executed with the full rigor of the Hallmark of Geneva — a certification requiring that the movement be both made and cased in the canton, with 12 strict construction and finishing criteria met. Fewer watches achieve this standard than most collectors realize.

Al Rasheed's choice signals exactly the kind of collector sensibility the piece is designed for: someone who understands that openworked tourbillons at this tier are not about legibility or sportiness, but about owning a miniature sculpture. The dark alligator strap and rose gold case pairing reads as classically considered rather than flashy — disciplined luxury.

At retail, this reference sits well above $150,000, and grey market premiums on Vacheron tourbillons with Hallmark of Geneva certification remain firm. Supply is deliberately constrained, and the Malte family does not appear at auction frequently enough to suppress demand. For a royal with access to the world's finest watchmakers, the Malte Tourbillon Openworked is a telling choice — old-world credibility, zero compromises.