When it was presented, it was almost a revolution for a House that has always made sobriety a flag. Now, 45 years after its launch (in 1977), the Vacheron Constantin 222, the work of designer Jorg Hysek, is back on the market at a time when watches with integrated bracelets are enjoying great success. And the 222 played a key role in defining this trend at the turn of the 1970s and 1980s. The reference that made it famous is undoubtedly the one nicknamed 'Jumbo', in yellow gold, 37 mm.
It is precisely the Jumbo that is re-proposed today in the Historiques collection in a virtually identical guise from an aesthetic point of view, but with an all-new calibre and the right dose of technical updates. The gold tonneau case is entirely brushed apart from the polished edges at the lugs. The bezel, the watch's most recognisable feature, is punctuated by 24 grooves that on the first version also served as notches for unscrewing it.
The solution chosen in 1977 was based on a monobloc case, with a fixed back and access only from the top. The bezel was thus the only point of access to the watch with the advantage of guaranteeing water resistance to 12 atmospheres and keeping the thickness within 7 mm. The current version adopts a transparent back which brings the thickness to 7.95 mm and limits water resistance to 5 atmospheres (but it is also legitimate to wonder who could realistically think of diving with such a watch on their wrist).
The choice of gold for the first re-edition of the 222 was almost obligatory, but the numerous references made in the past, in different sizes and materials, could be the cue for new versions that a market increasingly oriented towards the style of the 1970s will only appreciate. The new calibre 2455/2 beats at 28,800 vibrations per hour (instead of the 19,800 of the first version) and guarantees a 40-hour power reserve.
Price79,500 euro.
