To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Patrimony collection, Vacheron Constantin presents a new self-winding limited edition, the result of a collaboration with Ora Ïto, a French designer and long-standing member of the talented team “One of Not Many”.
The emblematic collection, born in 2004 and with roots in the fifties, contains genuine complexity behind its minimalist aesthetic.
Inspired by a 1957 model, the Patrimony collection, launched two decades ago, pays tribute to the traditions of Fine Watchmaking and conceals the complexity of its construction under the mantle of its sober aesthetics.
The collection’s 20th anniversary celebration culminates with the new self-winding Patrimony reference, a limited edition of 100 pieces.
It is a vintage-style monochrome watch, with a yellow gold case that frames a tone-on-tone dial adorned with concentric circles and a calfskin strap with graphic motifs inspired by the 1970s.
This collection is a direct heir to classic traditional watchmaking, which is why it is distinguished by a minimalist design and an exceptional breath of elegance.
Over the 20 years since its launch, this collection can already be described as emblematic. The Patrimony models have never deviated from these principles, characterized by a round case with a stylized bezel, as well as a refined domed dial with slender and curved applied hour indices, as well as baton hands, and minute tracks with pearl-type indicators. .
This apparent formal simplicity requires, however, a refined execution by the master craftsmen. The practically imperceptible curvature of the dial requires a rigorously accurate stamping to the nearest micron.
The same obsessive interest in detail is applied to the curved shape of the hands and indices, as well as to the “pearls” of the minute track, without overlooking the fact that each machined component requires manual retouching, which has the added difficulty of tiny size.
The limited edition of 100 pieces features a 40-millimeter yellow gold case that frames a tone-on-tone gold dial adorned with an infinite number of concentric circles that capture the light. This circular geometry, a display of visual purity, unfolds like a wave reflecting the surface curvature of the sphere. The subtle retro air of the model emerges from this multitude of details, such as the date that appears discreetly at 6 o’clock in an expressive aperture, or the Vacheron Constantin logo placed under the sapphire crystal using metallic transfer.
On the back, the sapphire crystal case back allows you to admire the Caliber 2450 manufacture movement, self-winding, which operates the hours, minutes, seconds and date, with Fine Watchmaking finishes among which stand out, in particular, the pearl finish of the plate, the Côtes de Genève motif that adorns the bridges and the openwork gold oscillating weight in the shape of a Maltese cross.
Sober, essential and timeless, these are the concepts that reflect what the new Patrimony automatic loading model is like; a celebration of its own history and the apparent simplicity that characterizes the collection.
