Celebrating their 270th anniversary, it’s fair to say Vacheron Constantin is having a moment. In celebration, they’re debuting new pieces that draw on the brand’s history while adding new interpretations and updates. Although the options can seem a bit overwhelming at first, we’ve created a primer on three core collections within the Vacheron Constantin universe that showcase both their history and their future direction.

“Vacheron Constantin leverages its history by finding an equilibrium through its various collections,” said Alexander Schmiedt, President of Americas for Vacheron Constantin. While some collections are strongly influenced by past designs, drawing inspiration from the Maison's rich heritage, other collections are more inspired by the brand's historical values, “such as the continuous striving for technical and aesthetic excellence,” he added. “This dual approach allows us to honor our past while remaining attentive to our clients' needs.”

This balancing act has allowed the brand to maintain its reputation as a member of the ‘Holy Trinity’ of elite fine watchmakers while innovating in the modern era.

While many watchmakers emphasize history in their development of modern designs, Vacheron Constantin's approach is distinct and a bit broader. Arguably, the most important way that Vacheron Constantin's collections leverage the brand's rich history while driving innovation is by providing “multiple opportunities to interpret our heritage,” stated Schmiedt. “This approach creates a dynamism where some collections directly reference iconic past designs, while others embody the historical values of technical and aesthetic excellence in a more conceptual way.” By applying a commitment to historical values in the development of modern pieces that push the technical and aesthetic boundaries of the contemporary market, Vacheron’s pieces are both profoundly grounded in brand heritage, and innovative in their mechanical and visual executions.

Vacheron’s quality is in “not being afraid to express themselves through more unconventional design choices executed to standards that rival the other members of the trinity,” said Dan Somlo, vintage specialist and Director of Somlo London. There is an essential dual emphasis on pushing the bounds of creativity and preserving history. As we explore each of the three collections highlighted below, this balance between history and innovation will remain a central theme.

Historiques

The Historiques collection is the most direct manifestation of Vacheron Constantin’s historical approach to watchmaking. Recreating some of the marque’s defining designs and references for a modern audience, the Historiques collection pays careful attention to the sizing, proportions, and finishes of historical pieces but modernizes the execution in materials and movement finishing. This allows collectors to enjoy heritage design while enjoying the advantages of contemporary finishing standards, sapphire crystals and exhibition casebacks. For many collectors, this represents the essence of the dual mandate of creating watches “inspired by the brand’s historical values” and simultaneous “continuous striving for technical and aesthetic excellence” that Schmiedt referenced before.

Some of the most notable Historiques pieces include the American 1921, influenced by a classic piece with a rotated dial, loved by drivers who can glance at their wrists for the time with the 12 o’clock position at the natural top of the dial while the driver’s hands are positioned on the wheel. Another popular favorite is the Cornes de Vache chronograph. Cornes de Vache– or “horns of the cow”- refers to the unique lug structure of the beautiful manually wound chronograph. Finally, the 222 was relaunched in the Historiques collection in 2022, paying tribute to the reference’s significance as the progenitor to the famed Overseas collection we will cover later. These Historiques pieces are among the most celebrated references in the brand’s portfolio.

Patrimony

“The essence of the Patrimony range has always been simplicity,” said Somlo; this perfectly exemplifies the collection’s more reserved aesthetics. A direct continuation of the brand’s dress watch heritage, these pieces are nonetheless quite modern in proportions, applying the simple Bauhaus design language of classic dress watches for a contemporary customer base.

The most popular Patrimony pieces are usually manually wound dress watches with applied numerals, clean dials, and subsidiary seconds. That said, today’s Patrimony collection includes perpetual calendars, complete calendars, and retrograde pieces. If you want a modern watch made in the image of Vacheron’s mastery of fine watchmaking, the Patrimony collection is the standard line of Vacheron watches for the distinguished watch lover of the 21st century.

Overseas

If the Historiques and Patrimony are the backbone of Vacheron’s heritage of fine watchmaking, the Overseas is the brand’s experimentation ground for modern exploration. An outgrowth of the design language of the 222, with an integrated bracelet design that plays off the Maltese cross motif of the Vacheron brand logo, Somlo suggests that the Overseas “slots right in between the Royal Oak and the Nautilus as a great integrated bracelet watch in the modern era and can be undeservedly eclipsed by the two alternatives”. Arguably, the Overseas is the sleeper alternative to the more hype-fueled integrated bracelet pieces from Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet. “In true Vacheron style, the design is more out-there and interesting and the bracelets are stunning,” he explained. In particular, Somlo called out the earlier big date chronographs as under-the-radar gems to consider.

Regardless, the Overseas captures the essence of reimagining classic design for modern audiences, now comprising a variety of high horology references including a perpetual calendar, travel time, a particularly popular tourbillon, and more. The Overseas is made in a variety of dial colors, with the blue universally touted as one of the most beautiful blue dials on the market. In many ways, the Overseas is perfect for the lover of sports watches who is looking for the high horology chops of Vacheron Constantin. The collection also engages its younger customer base particularly well.

270 Years and Still Going Strong

Vacheron Constantin celebrated their 270th anniversary this year as the longest continuously operating watchmaker in the modern era. Between the classicism of the Historiques, the future classics of the Patrimony, and the trend-worthy sports pieces of the Overseas collection, Vacheron is poised to continue to flourish for another 270 years. We can’t wait to see what comes next for the brand!