The Vacheron Constantin Historiques 222 is Finally here in Stainless Steel (Incl. Video)

First presented for the 222nd anniversary of the venerable watchmaker Vacheron Constantin, the 222 was the brand’s answer to the then-growing demand for luxury sports watches with integrated bracelets. The third member of the iconic Holy Trinity of luxury sports watches, next to the Royal Oak and the Nautilus, all three sharing the same base movement (at the beginning), the 222 wasn’t the work of Gérald Genta but of Jorg Hysek. The base for the more modern Overseas collection, in 2022 and as part of the Historiques collection, Vacheron Constantin produced a faithful re-edition of its emblematic model in solid gold and not the steel watch many were expecting. But here it is! Meet the new Vacheron Constantin Historiques 222 in steel.

Quick historical reminder

In 1972, the watchmaking world saw the introduction of a brand new concept: the elegant sports watch with an integrated bracelet in a steel case, with a high-end ultra-thin movement and a price that was higher than most gold watches of the day. This watch, the Audemars Piguet 5402ST, produced a storm in the watch world, a thoroughly disruptive concept that would be followed by Girard-Perregaux in 1975 (Laureato), Patek Philippe (Nautilus) and IWC (Ingenieur SL) in 1976 and, in 1977, by Vacheron Constantin and its 222 model. And together with the AP and PP, this Vacheron forms the so-called Holy Trinity of elegant sports watches.

While Gérald Genta, the celebrated watch designer, created the blueprint for the AP and PP, the Vacheron Constantin 222 (because it celebrated the 222nd anniversary of VC) was designed by a then-young man named Jorg Hysek. Like Audemars Piguet and Patek Philippe, the 222 was a radical breakaway from its traditional dress watches. The 222 included all the classic elements of the genre, starting from its barrel-shaped case, prominent bezel with a complex shape, a bracelet fully integrated within the whole design, an ultra-thin movement and the typical combination of luxury and casualness. It originally came in steel, with a 120m water-resistance and yet a thickness of only 7mm. It was powered by the calibre VC1120, based on the Jaeger-LeCoultre calibre 920 (like PP and AP). The Jumbo version was a time-and-date watch without seconds that measured 37mm in diameter. Later, smaller versions and gold models would be released.

In 2022, Vacheron Constantin released a highly talked-about and faithful re-edition of the 222. However, while the dimensions were almost identical, many technical updates were applied. Surprisingly, the brand released a full gold version, paired with a matching gold-coloured dial. A looker for sure, but maybe not what many expected to see… a steel re-edition. But that’s now solved.

The new Vacheron Constantin Historiques 222 in Steel

The recipe with the steel Vacheron Constantin 222 is fairly simple – no complaints here. It is a highly anticipated watch, and it is just as we expected it to be. While extremely close visually to the original 1976 version, the new Historiques 222 has undergone multiple evolutions. In the first place, to address some of the issues of the vintage watch, but also to incorporate modern technologies and materials.

The most obvious evolution here is the use of stainless steel for the case, bezel and bracelet. For the rest, this steel 222 is technically identical to the gold 222. What does that mean? First, a case that measures the same 37mm as the vintage watch, with an identical shape – a so-called Jumbo case. The thickness has increased a bit to 7.95mm, primarily due to the modern movement and the presence of a sapphire crystal on the back – which also means that the case is now a traditional 3-piece construction, no longer a monobloc style. The water-resistance rating has dropped to 50m instead of 120m in the past watch, which is a bit of a disappointment.

Design-wise, all the elements created by Hysek have been kept, and the new steel version retains everything the gold model brought back. First, the original notched bezel with its rather unconventional profile has been retained. Second, the Maltese Cross at 5 o’clock, a hallmark of the vintage 222, is still present. And while it was done in contrasting white gold on the gold 222, here it is made in contrasting 18k yellow gold. Finishing techniques have been respected, too, with circular brushed surfaces on the bezel, vertically brushed surfaces on the case, horizontally brushed surfaces on the sides and thin polished bevels around the case and the bezel. The fit and finish of this steel version are superb, as you’d expect from Vacheron Constantin.

A highly important element of the elegant sports watch category is the integrated bracelet, which is, of course, also made of stainless steel, respecting the distinctive design of the vintage 222. Yet, as was the case for the 2022 gold edition, the construction has been reworked for better comfort and ergonomics. The bracelet’s articulations have been revisited to hide the visible pins and improve comfort on the wrist, as it is far more flexible than the vintage watch. The execution is fairly impressive, with beautiful surfaces all around. It is closed by a concealed butterfly clasp but still doesn’t come with micro-adjustment.

The other main update for this steel edition of the Vacheron Constantin Historiques concerns the dial, which moves now to a blue tone and connects with the original steel versions of 1977. That being said, and even if the colour used by VC is fairly subdued, the shade of blue of this modern edition is slightly brighter and more saturated than in the past. It retains straight hour markers and baton hands in gold, with thin bands of SLN. With its 2-hand display, the matte dial has an applied gold Maltese cross as well as the historical logos and fonts. The main evolution that came on the gold model, and which is retained here, is the position of the date window, which has been significantly offset from the outer rim of the dial so that it no longer encroaches on the minutes track.

Under the sapphire caseback is a modern movement, the in-house calibre 2455/2, replacing the old JLC-based movement. There is nothing new here, as everything is identical to the gold 222. This thin, relatively compact movement is certified by the Hallmark of Geneva and, as expected, nicely finished with a solid gold 222-engraved central rotor. The movement runs at a modern 4Hz frequency, stores about 40h of power reserve and features a quick-set date (which was not the case on the old 222).

Availability & Price

Presented for the brand’s 270th anniversary (expect many more watches in the frame of this milestone later this year), the steel Vacheron Constantin Historiques 222 is released as part of the permanent collection, is not limited but is available exclusively from Vacheron Constantin boutiques. It is priced at EUR 35,000 (incl. taxes), compared to EUR 80,500 for the gold edition and in line with the competition (about the same price as an AP Royal Oak 16202ST).

For more details, please visit Vacheron-Constantin.com.