For collectors of vintage watches, 222 is no ordinary number. It refers to a legendary timepiece, a symbol of an era as well as a watershed in the history of Vacheron Constantin. The 222 designed by Jörg Hysek, launched in 1977, introduced a functional architecture with its flat base topped by a prominent fluted bezel. Its monobloc case, which required the movement to be cased-up from above, was water-resistant to 120 metres thanks to its screw-down bezel. The 222 boasted exemplary thinness at 7 mm, thanks to its ultra-thin movement measuring barely 3.05 mm and driving indications of the hours, minutes and date. The baton-type hands and straight hour-markers similar to the 1963 reference 6782 Turnograph watch confirmed an understated and refined aesthetic, while exuding an impression of robustness thanks to its bracelet screwed to the case middle and featuring large hexagonal central links. Initially presented in a 37 mm version nicknamed “Jumbo”, the 222 was subsequently interpreted in 34 mm and 24 mm steel, yellow gold or two-tone iterations, polished or gemset but always adorned with the Maison’s Maltese cross emblem nestling in the right-hand corner of the case at 5 o’clock. Remaining in limited production until 1985, the 222 belongs to the legend of the first “sporty-chic” watches in watchmaking history.
Vacheron Constantin is offering an updated interpretation of this legendary model in its Jumbo version with the Historiques 222 watch in 18K 3N yellow gold. In keeping with the spirit of the Historiques collection, the watches composing the collection are not identical replicas of the original watch, but instead contemporary reinterpretations, endowed with the latest technical advances to optimise their reliability and comfort on the wrist.
The original codes of the 222 have been respected: 37 mm diameter, fluted bezel, gold-toned dial, straight hour-markers and baton-type hands, integrated bracelet and hexagonal central links, as well as the Maltese cross at 5 o’clock made of polished Pd150 white gold and soldered onto the flat base of the case.
A few subtle changes have been made to the Historiques 222 watch:
Operating at a frequency of 4 Hz (28,800 vibrations/hour) and endowed with a 40-hour power reserve (compared with 2.75 Hz for the original model), Calibre 2455/2 delivers enhanced precision.
The oscillating weight of Calibre 2455/2 was specifically developed for this model and is engraved with the original 222 logo, surrounded by a fluted motif echoing the bezel.
The caseback is openworked to reveal the calibre.
The finishes – vertical-satin-brushed crown and bracelet; circular satin-finished bezel and polished hour-markers, hand-chamfered gear trains and bridges adorned with a Côtes de Genève motif, as well as a circular-grained mainplate – reveal the concern for each and every detail characterising the world of Haute Horlogerie.
The dial features the vintage font of the “AUTOMATIC” inscription.
The date window has been significantly offset from the outer rim of the dial to enhance legibility, thanks to the slightly smaller diameter of the calibre compared with its predecessor.
The Super-LumiNova® coating of the hands and hour-markers (off-white by day and lime green by night) also results in improved readability.
The bracelet is fitted with a triple-blade (rather than double-blade) clasp
The bracelet articulations have been revisited to hide the visible pins and improve comfort on the wrist.
Reference
4200H/222J-B935
Calibre
2455/2
Developed and crafted by Vacheron Constantin
Mechanical, self-winding, 18K 3N yellow gold dedicated oscillating weight
26.2 mm (12½‘’’) diameter, 3.6 mm thick
Approximately 40 hours of power reserve
4Hz (28,800 vibrations per hour)
194 components
27 jewels
Hallmark of Geneva certified timepiece
Indications
Hours and minutes
Date
Case
18K 3N yellow gold
37 mm diameter, 7.95 mm thick
Pd150 white gold Maltese cross placed at 5 o’clock
Transparent sapphire crystal caseback
Water-resistance tested at a pressure of 5 bar (approx. 50 metres)
Dial
Gold-toned
Yellow gold polished Maltese cross placed on the dial
Yellow gold hour-markers and hands highlighted with Super-LumiNova® (off-white during the day and lime green at night)
Bracelet
18K 3N yellow gold vertical satin finished
Buckles
18K 3N yellow gold triple-blade folding clasp
Polished half Maltese cross-shaped
Available for 61,500€ RSP (incl. 19% VAT) exclusively from Vacheron Constantin boutiques.
