HISTORIQUES 222 STAINLESS STEEL WATCH, REINVENTING

 A SYMBOL OF DARING CREATIVITY

To begin the celebration of 270 years of passion, and in response to the expectations of its clients, Vacheron Constantin presents the inaugural timepiece marking its anniversary year: the Historiques 222 in stainless steel. This model harks back to a legendary creation, first unveiled in 1977 to mark its 222nd anniversary. Designed by Jorg Hysek, the model was an immediate departure from the sports watch conventions of the time, which had mainly been professional models for pilots, divers and explorers, and captured a new cultural mood that blurred the lines between formality and sportiness. As well as marking a break with traditional sports watch characteristics, the 222 was a quintessentially 1970s design and introduced a new stylistic signature to the Maison.


Fitted with an integrated bracelet, its case featured a functional construction with a flat table, topped by a prominent fluted bezel and stamped with a Maltese cross at 5 o’clock. The monobloc case, which required the movement to be fitted from the top, was water-resistant to 120 metres thanks to its screw-down bezel. Displaying the hours, minutes and date, the 222 also boasted exemplary slenderness at just 7 mm, thanks to the ultra-thin Calibre 1120; measuring a mere 3.05 mm, it was the world’s thinnest full-rotor automatic movement. 

Balancing this visual elegance, the simple, baton-style hands and hour-markers, and the large hexagonal central links of the bracelet conveyed an impression of robustness and confident modernity. In 2025, Vacheron Constantin presents a new edition of the first 222 model – nicknamed ‘Jumbo’ by collectors and featuring a blue dial framed by a 37 mm stainless steel case. The re-edition benefits from several technical improvements.


The joints of the bracelet – which is now fastened with a triple-blade rather than a twin-blade clasp – have been redesigned to hide the visible pins and improve ergonomics.  The caseback which bears a signature representing Vacheron Constantin’s 270th anniversary has been fitted with a transparent sapphire crystal to reveal the in-house Calibre 2455/2. Slightly smaller in diameter than its predecessor, it is still only 3.6 mm thick.


The oscillating weight of this high-precision movement is engraved with the original 222 logo and edged with a fluted motif reminiscent of the bezel. Thanks to its frequency of 4Hz (28,800 vibrations per hour) – compared with 2.75Hz on the original model – the movement offers enhanced precision and is endowed with a 40-hour power reserve.

On the dial, the date window has been moved towards the centre so that it no longer encroaches on the minutes track. The vintage font of the «AUTOMATIC» inscription and the Super-LumiNova® coating of the hands and hour-markers (off-white by day and lime green by night) are a nod to the hue of the tritium used in historical timepieces. The finishing displays Vacheron Constantin’s eternal attention detail, with a combination of vertical satin-brushing and polishing on several elements of the watch, such as the crown, bracelet and bezel, which creates fascinating light effects.


Like all of the models in Vacheron Constantin’s Historiques collection, the 222 marked an important point in the Maison’s history. While retaining the distinctive design – along with the nostalgic charm – of the original, the 2025 re-edition in stainless steel is absolutely contemporary, embodying the Maison’s core values with sophisticated refinement, a sense of casual ease and uncompromising commitment to the quest for excellence.


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