Ever since the Vacheron Constantin Historiques 222 was introduced to widespread acclaim in 2022, a vibrant 18k yellow gold ode to 1970s excess, the watch world has collectively roared: “We want steel!”
It’s taken a little less than three years, but public demand appears to have won the day as the maison has kicked off its 270th anniversary celebrations with exactly that, a Historiques 222 in stainless steel with a matte blue dial.
The Historiques 222 is, of course, a contemporary reissue of one of the most enduring sports watch designs of the era. Created by the chronically underrated Jörg Hysek in 1977, the original 222 ‘Jumbo’ features a tonneau-shaped case with a distinctive notched bezel and an integrated bracelet.
In the eyes of many watch collectors, it rounds out the ‘Holy Trinity’ of sports watches alongside the iconic Audemars Piguet Royal Oak and Patek Philippe Nautilus – and, while it would be fair to say it’s the least culturally prevalent of the three, it exudes a typically Vacheron elegance that places it in a field of its own.
That isn’t to say that it has always had its deserving place in the limelight. Discontinued in 1985, it was later eclipsed by its successor the Vacheron Constantin Overseas collection, which slowly evolved away from its inspiration’s minimalist roots towards higher complication ‘sporty chic’ watches capable of being worn for any occasion. But the 222’s mythos lived on and as the second watch market exploded in the late 2010s, its historical significance and surprising value compared to other 1970s designs (sadly, the price has subsequently skyrocketed) brought with it a renewed interest.
The launch of the Historiques 222 therefore seemed to be a case of right place right time, as the Vacheron’s heritage and style director Christian Selmoni explains: “The idea of a revival of the 222 was in the air for quite some time, but we decided to celebrate this very inspirational model in 2022 – 45 years after its launch – as an opportunity to ‘play with numbers’.”
Given the 222 itself was released for the 222nd anniversary, it’s a nerdy little nod to its source material. But in so doing, whether knowingly or not, it touched on the cultural zeitgeist and created a watch that transcended the closed circles of collectors to reach the wrists of Hollywood stars like Brad Pitt and Michael B Jordan. Even Vogue magazine wrote an article on ‘How Vacheron Constantin’s Historiques 222 Became A Watch Cult Classic’.
I asked Selmoni whether the brand has been working back from its 2022 launch of the Historiques 222 and saving the steel version for this special anniversary, and the answer was a little more complex than I expected: “We had a lot of discussions internally about which 222 we were going to relaunch in 2022. The natural candidate, if I may say like that, was obviously the ‘Jumbo’ 37mm in steel because that is certainly the one which is the most sought after by collectors. We had other options as well like the steel and gold model, but ultimately we settled on the yellow gold because it’s the most exclusive version of the 222 ‘Jumbo’ – if I remember well, we made a little bit less than 150 of them – and so that was a way for us to anchor it in the Historiques collection more widely. But the idea for us was really to pay homage to this golden decade of the 1970s,” Selmoni says.
“Obviously, we knew that there would be a very important demand for a stainless steel 222 off the back of this relaunch, but we were aware that we couldn’t simply launch it in 2023, for example, and that comes down to the production. Vacheron manufactures its own movements, we are finishing our movements by hand, and consequently we are not able to grow production year after year by, say, anything like double digits. We had to ensure that we were able to properly deliver the watches that we were planning, so that’s why we have waited until 2025 to launch the steel 222 for our 270th anniversary.”
As for the watch itself, much like the yellow gold Historiques 222, the new steel iteration takes all of the design elements of Hysek’s original and packages them up with a contemporary in-house movement and a vastly improved integrated bracelet that is engineered for improved ergonomics and comfort. That means you can still find the unconventional notched bezel, the slim 37mm x 7.95mm case, the signature Maltese Cross emblem at 5 o’clock, and an array of finishing techniques that elevates this watch to Vacheron standards of execution. It really is one of the best sports watches money can buy.
The maison has plumped for a matte blue dial, with contrasting hour markers and baton hands in white gold, to connect to the 222 models of the 1970s. In the metal, it’s a rich shade without being anywhere near as exuberant as the sunburst blue dials you may find in Vacheron’s Overseas collection.
The best news of all, however, is probably news that the steel Vacheron Constantin Historiques 222 is non-limited and will form part of the brand’s permanent collection, albeit available exclusively from Vacheron boutiques. At a price point of £30,800 – more than half the £71,000 for the Historiques 222 in yellow gold – expect demand to far outstrip supply as collectors clamour for this charming slice of the 1970s.
It might only be the start, but don’t be surprised if this model is a contender for watch of the year.
Vacheron Constantin Historiques 222 in steel; £30,800. For more information, vacheron-constantin.com
