Art Meets History in Vacheron Constantin’s Newest Limited-Edition
The newest addition to the Vacheron Constantin Patrimony Collection is an homage to the brand’s heritage as interpreted by a 21st century designer. With a 40mm yellow gold case, a tone-on-tone dial decorated with concentric circles, and a calfskin leather strap featuring contrasting graphic motifs inspired by the 1970s, this 100-piece limited-edition is the latest product of the long-running collaboration between Vacheron Constantin and French designer Ora ïto.
ïto, who co-created the watch to mark the 20th anniversary of the Patrimony collection, drew inspiration from astronomy for the circular geometry that ripples across the cambered dial surface. “This circular movement of light refers to the Baily Pearls, a spectacular phenomenon that accompanies an eclipse of the sun by the moon,” ïto explains.
Yellow gold details on the applied hour-markers, the ‘pearl’ minutes track, and the slender, subtly curved hands, give the watch a vintage look. Meanwhile, circular graining on the mainplate, a Côte de Genève pattern engraved on the bridges, and an open-worked gold oscillating weight marked with a Maltese Cross speak to Vacheron Constantin’s skill in the high watchmaking arts.
ïto’s partnership with Vacheron Constantin is part of the Swiss watchmaker’s One of Not Many initiative, through which it invites a diverse group of creators to participate in the brand’s watchmaking process. “A good design wasn’t created to be disposed of after a period of usage, it is designed around essentials to make it eternal,” ïto explains. This is part of the designer’s “Simplexity” concept, which he describes as the art of proposing a simple response to a complex problem and giving a simple appearance to an object involving invisible complexity.
This philosophy can be easily applied to any of Vacheron Constantin’s watches, but it’s particularly relevant for the Patrimony collection, which was launched in 2004 and inspired by the minimalist aesthetic of a 1957 model. Over the last 20 years, the Patrimony collection has continued to expand on this theme, with a range of models typified by round cases, slim bezels, slender, curved baton-type hands, and a ‘pearl’ minutes track. With two dozen models in the collection today, from the ultra-minimalist two-handed white gold Manual Winding to covetable complication models like the Retrograde Date and Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin, the Patrimony has become one of the most emblematic families in the Vacheron Constantin lineup.
As one might expect from the world’s oldest watchmaker, these pieces’ refined appearances are matched by what’s inside, and the Maison has developed several ultra-thin movements to complement the Patrimony’s sleek looks. To wit, the new limited-edition is powered by the Calibre 2450 Q6, a mechanical, self-winding in-house movement that’s just 3.60 mm thick. Subtly embellished with a Hallmark of Geneva, the highest certification in watchmaking, it’s a testament to Vacheron Constantin’s strengths, and an appropriately understated tribute to the Patrimony’s 20th anniversary.
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