Vacheron Constantin is the world’s oldest watch model in steady operation, they usually have a good time an enormous anniversary this 12 months: 270 years. That’s an extremely very long time for an organization to exist, and just by advantage of its age, Vacheron has survived nearly each sort of calamity that may befall the human beings who, on the finish of the day, are liable for holding the factor going. Wars, illness, extra wars, Instagram hype – Vacheron has seen all of it. It’s definitely a milestone price celebrating, and as manufacturers are likely to do when these large numbers crop up, they’re doing it with a watch (in all probability a bunch of watches, to be honest – it’s solely January). In any case, to start their large anniversary 12 months, Vacheron Constantin has launched a brand new model of their 222 in metal, a watch that has been anticipated and speculated about since its most rapid predecessor was launched simply shy of three years in the past.
Simply in case anybody wants a refresher, the 222 was Vacheron Constantin’s authentic entry within the built-in bracelet sports activities watch sweepstakes in 1977, the model’s 222nd anniversary 12 months (that is an anniversary watch to its core). It got here after their counterparts within the so-called Holy Trilogy of Swiss watch manufacturers launched their very own takes on this model (the Audermars Piguet Royal Oak and the Patek Philippe Nautilus, each designed by Gerald Genta) and was not constantly produced, so it didn’t attain the family identify standing of these watches. The 222 was at all times extra of a collector’s favourite and a little bit of an insider’s secret, whilst curiosity in built-in bracelet sports activities watches was rising during the last decade. Apart from, Vacheron had the Abroad, their trendy and extra overtly sporty tackle the style to instantly compete with the Royal Oak and Nautilus.
Three years in the past, at Watches & Wonders 2022, Vacheron debuted a brand new 222 in strong yellow gold, which for a lot of was not solely a spotlight of the present, however one of many high releases of the 12 months. Basically a 1:1 recreation of the unique 222 in its proportions, this yellow gold Vacheron Constantin Les Historiques 222 had an preliminary retail worth only a bit over $60,000 and was apparently produced in very restricted portions, accessible solely from Vacheron boutiques. Unsurprisingly, as quickly because it was launched, there have been requires a metal model, and the neighborhood started speculating about what a brand new 222 assortment would possibly appear like.
I’ve to confess, I’m sort of glad that Vacheron didn’t instantly start churning out variants on the 222 theme. It made that reintroduction really feel particular, and the truth that you merely don’t see these watches flip up on the pre-owned market (not less than not with the frequency of Royal Oaks and varied Nautili) has me pondering that they actually did maintain manufacturing down and get these watches into the fingers of great Vacheron collectors. When you had requested me every week in the past if Vacheron ought to introduce a metal model of the 222 I’d have mentioned “no method, maintain it gold, solely make a handful of them a 12 months, and keep a few of the mystique.” Now that they’ve made a metal model, I’m not precisely consuming my hypothetical phrases (the watch seems nice, in any case, and I’ll by no means begrudge one other fantastically made object getting into the world) nevertheless it has me questioning what Vacheron’s actual plans are right here.
The brand new metal 222 is, for all intents and functions, the identical watch that we noticed in 2022 however with a change in case materials and a brand new dial colour. A part of the attraction of the gold model was that the dial was additionally gold, which gave the entire package deal an impossibly opulent and excessive look. Quite than attempt to recreate that aesthetic with the metal 222 by going with a dial in a grey or silver tone to enrich the colour of the case metallic, we get a darkish blue dial as a substitute. In these VC equipped pictures it seems…advantageous. Possibly just a little plain or generic for my style, nevertheless it’s a pleasant shade of blue that needs to be lots versatile for many who are in a position to acquire one in every of these and really intend to put on it. The case nonetheless measures 37mm and is 7.95mm tall. That’s only a bit thicker than the unique 222 launched within the 70s, however however results in an incredible carrying expertise that, as you’d anticipate, evokes placing on a real classic piece in one of the simplest ways doable. It stands to purpose on condition that this watch and bracelet are made in metal that the brand new model will likely be fairly a bit lighter than the gold 222, which must make it much more wearable.
The discharge of this watch begs the query: what’s the 222 to Vacheron Constantin? It appears secure to imagine that the metal model of this watch will likely be each bit as powerful to get because the gold – the response to this point on social media and in remark sections is mainly rapturous. It makes me marvel if extra dial variants are within the pipeline, or a bigger measurement, and even problems. That will be a transfer proper out of the Richemont playbook (have a look at Jaeger-LeCoultre’s technique with the Reverso, as an illustration, and even Cartier with their assortment privé releases), however I’d hope that Vacheron would elect to maintain the 222 as one thing just a little extra restricted and collector centered. You hate to see a 270 12 months outdated model chasing hype, in any case, significantly when it looks like curiosity in built-in bracelet sports activities watches is cooling a bit.
The brand new Historiques 222 shouldn’t be a restricted version, however just like the earlier gold model, it’ll solely be accessible in Vacheron boutiques. The worth is $32,000, a determine that’s each eye watering and, in some way, not precisely stunning given the posh watch local weather. It might sound to many like the marketplace for excessive finish watches is down, however Vacheron Constantin is outwardly selecting to not acknowledge that of their anniversary 12 months, and I think about their shoppers who’ve entry to the metal 222 will likely be blissful to look the opposite method as nicely. Vacheron Constantin
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