Quality time with Vacheron Constantin
Designed by Jörg Hysek and released in 1977, the 222 turns 45 with a contemporary reinterpretation to mark the occasion
Within a crisis, there are always seeds of opportunity. In the midst of the quartz crisis, the Swiss watch industry produced some of its most iconic and ground-breaking mechanical watches; the Gérald Genta-design Audemars Piguet Royal Oak being a case in point. Its grande tapisserie dial, octagonal bezel and integrated bracelet defined a new genre of premium sports watches that would inspire many more over the coming decade. Appealing to a younger consumer lifestyle, this new category of luxury timepieces was sporty yet elegant, and became the ultimate expression of independence, style and success.
The recent withdrawal from the market of the even more legendary Nautilus Ref 5711, released in 1976, has also presented an opportunity for some fine new suitors with unique contemporary designs for this luxe sport segment. These include the H Moser Streamline, Speake-Marin’s new Ripples, Laurent Ferrier Sport Auto, Czapek Antartique S, Chopard Alpine Eagle, Bell & Ross BR05, and of course the architecture-inspired Bulgari Octo, which has accumulated more awards than we can count.
On the wrist, the redesign of the articulated bracelet ensures a more ergonomic and comfortable feel. The aesthetic codes of the initial 222 have been respected in the Vacheron Constantin Historiques 222 with a few adjustments for extra comfort and enhanced reliability. The case features a Maltese cross emblem at 5 o’clock, and an exhibition back reveals the new-generation in-house Calibre 2455/2 with its oscillating weight redesigned for this model.