Vacheron Constantin – Vintage Inspired Elegance

There’s nothing like the good ol’ days. In that spirit, I have to say, I really love some of the watches from Vacheron Constantin’s Patrimony collection. And since I’m extolling the virtues of the old fashioned, I’m going to say that my favorite Patrimony piece is the Patrimony Classique watch. At 35mm, it may not be on the cutting edge of horological fashion, but it sure is beautiful, and like those old dress watches of yesteryear, it fits beautifully under a fitted cuff.

The dial of the Vacheron Constantin Patrimony Classique watch is something you can never tire of looking at, in my opinion. With its concave, domed profile, it recalls the gorgeous dress watches which all the great manufacturers made during the 1950’s and 1960’s. Graceful Roman numeral hour markers add just enough ornamentation to keep the dial interesting, without making things too busy by adding unnecessary “stuff”–like minute hash marks, for example.

The leaf-shaped hands, crafted from white, pink, or yellow gold to match the case material, are superb–beautifully shaped, and as long as a classic pin-up girl’s legs. While you can argue that sub seconds aren’t needed on a watch like this (which I agree with), I will always be one of those individuals who enjoys the visual confirmation that my watch is mechanical—there’s something very soothing about that softly ticking hand, and it it’s an option, I like to have it.

The movement of this Vacheron Constantin watch is a real treat as well. Caliber 1400, stamped with the prestigious Geneva Seal hallmark, shines as one of Vacheron Constantin’s manufacture mechanisms. Thanks to the exhibition sapphire back, you can spend many a blissful moment peering through the back, taking in the fine decorative details, and the distinctive Geneva flourishes which manifest themselves in architecture of the bridges and other components.