Vacheron Constantin

Steel of Approval: Vacheron Constantin’s Latest Historiques 222 Marks a Milestone

The brand has unveiled a steel version of its popular 1970s revival piece to jumpstart its 270th anniversary year.

By Laurie Kahle
Contributor

To kick off the celebrations of its 270th anniversary year, Vacheron Constantin is reprising its hit gold Historiques 222 in cold, hard steel.

The original 222, envisioned by renowned watch designer Jorg Hysek, made its debut in 1977. Eschewing the brawny steel sport watch conventions of the time – as defined by tool watches for pilots, divers, and explorers – the yellow gold 222 made a bold stylistic statement underscoring elegance along with robustness, akin to its contemporaries, Royal Oak, and Nautilus.
 

Nicknamed “Jumbo” by collectors, the original 222’s 37mm monobloc tonneau-shaped case was topped with a round notched bezel and secured with an integrated bracelet distinguished by hexagonal center links. The brand’s emblematic Maltese cross was stamped on the barrel-shaped flat case at 5 o’clock. At 7mm thick, its svelte profile was thanks to the ultra-thin Calibre 1120, which, at 3.05mm thick, was the world’s thinnest full rotor automatic movement of its time.

Like Royal Oak and Nautilus, the 222 did not enjoy instant success. In the end, over the course of seven years, the brand produced fewer than 500 pieces in steel, about 150 in yellow gold, and fewer than 100 in steel and yellow gold until the model was discontinued in 1984. Naturally, such rarity made it a coveted find among the contemporary collector class.
 

The 222 did, however, lay the aesthetic foundation for the Overseas, which launched in 1996 and remains a popular sport model as it has evolved with the times.

Making Historiques

In 2022, Vacheron’s Historiques collection, which has paid tribute to significant models from various eras for more than two decades, turned its attention to the revival of the 222, fittingly given the year.

Like its predecessors – the quirky Deco-style Historiques American 1921 and the Historiques Cornes de Vache 1955 – the Historiques 222 is a faithful reproduction of the original from its 37mm diameter to its 3N yellow gold case to the integrated bracelet and gold-toned dial with baton-shaped hands and applied hour markers.
 

Naturally, Vacheron made some timely adjustments, such as the upgraded automatic in-house Calibre 2455/2, endowed with a 40-hour power reserve and enhanced precision with a frequency of 4 Hz (compared to the original’s 2.5 Hz).
 

Like all of the Maison’s movements, it bears the Geneva Seal, ensuring uncompromising standards of quality and craftsmanship. The yellow gold oscillating weight is engraved with the original 222 logo and edged with a fluted motif echoing the bezel. And it’s all revealed through a transparent sapphire crystal case back, unlike its forebearer.
 

Additional tweaks include improved ergonomics of the bracelet, which has been redesigned to hide the visible pins and is now fastened with a triple-blade rather than a twin-blade clasp.
 

On the dial, the date window has been moved towards the center to avoid encroaching on the minutes track. Finally, making the link between old and new, the “AUTOMATIC” label is in a vintage font, and the Super-LumiNova coating of the hands and hour-markers, which appear off-white by day and lime green by night, is a nod to the hue of the tritium used in vintage timepieces.
 

The new steel version has a matte blue dial appointed with an applied white gold Maltese cross above the brand signature at 12 o’clock, while the inlaid cross on the case at 5 o’clock pops in contrasting yellow gold.

Milestone Moments

Given its auspicious 270-year history, making it the oldest watch manufacturer in continuous production, Vacheron Constantin has an abundance of historically significant timepieces to reference for such revivals.

Since the 1990s, the brand has marked each new decade by honoring its heritage with timepieces that reflect the expertise and artistry cultivated within the manufacture since its founding in Geneva in 1755 by Jean-Marc Vacheron.
 

For its 240th anniversary in 1995, Vacheron introduced the Calibre 1127 with a power reserve indicator, date, and small seconds in a slim tonneau-shaped case with moveable lugs.

In 2005, the Tour de l'Île featured 16 complications read off a double-sided display, making it the most complicated series-produced wristwatch. It was followed by a number of significant special editions to mark the brand’s 250th birthday.
 

A decade later, Vacheron celebrated 260 years with the new Harmony collection with men’s and women’s models in a cushion-shaped case. The subsequent Harmony Ultra-Thin Grande Complication Chronographe set a world record with the self-winding Calibre 3500 comprised of 459 components and measuring just 5.20 mm thick.

Plus, 2015’s flagship piece was the Les Cabinotiers Reference 57260 pocket watch with 57 complications, including the first Hebraic perpetual calendar.

The new steel Historiques 222 is just the first of a series of anniversary editions to come out this year.
 

“The 222 is a legendary timepiece and is greatly appreciated by collectors – not least because its initial production run in the late 1970s was very limited,” said Alexandra Vogler, Chief Marketing Officer at Vacheron Constantin, in a news release. “By kicking off its 270th anniversary with this iconic timepiece – one that is vintage yet resolutely contemporary – the Maison is weaving past and present together.”

Pricing & Availability

The Historiques 222 in steel will be available exclusively in the brand’s boutiques for €35,000 (including all taxes). For more details, visit the Vacheron Constantin website.

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The Vacheron Constantin Historiques 222: A true icon reissued