Trend cycles tend to crop up often in the fashion world, but the same can be said of watches: For all of the timeless nature of true classics, certain eras get their moment in the sun, so to speak. Take the 1970s, arguably the golden era of the sport watch and the decade, from which Vacheron Constantin sparks inspiration for its revamped 222 timepiece.
Already makers of one of the world’s most complicated watches, the haute horologist looked to its 222nd anniversary in 1977 to bring back a luxury sports timepiece classic. The crisply designed 37mm stainless steel homage holds true to form in a contemporary reissue, one priced at $32,000.
The watchmaker notes that the slim, sporty-yet-refined timepiece nods to “an historic 1970s model” and in fitting fashion, “remains true to the qualities that made the original an icon.” The tonneau-shaped case is accented by both a fluted bezel and integrated bracelet for a clean, sleek look, one that Vacheron Constantin calls “a robust, sporty, yet elegant aesthetic that transcends categories.”
A delicate Maltese cross at the 5-o’clock marker, placed on the exterior of the bezel rather than on the dial, nods to intricacy and heritage. Not to be overlooked, elegant, rather jaw-dropping 18-karat gold baton-type hour and minute hands give the watch some impossibly precise flair (perhaps bolstering the price tag in the process, no doubt).
It’s a step down in flash and flair from other Vacheron Constantin timepieces, like its Abbey Road-inspired watch that debuted a handful of years ago. Within however, the hardware is every bit as detailed, as the watchmaker’s own Calibre 2455/2 movement powers the timepiece with a 40-hour power reserve.
Measuring in at just 7.95mm in terms of total thickness, the watch is also a geometric wonder in terms of its hexagonal integrated bracelet links, a sleek touch that gives this slimmed-down watch some seriously dressy appeal. As Vacheron Constantin notes, “purity of line and slimness” are key attributes for this luxurious, subtly stylish timepiece, and another five decades (and beyond) of history assuredly awaits this tribute to a classic.
