Watches & Wonders Highlights: Falling Love With Vacheron Constantin Patrimony Self-Winding
Bazaar’s watch columnist Elizabeth Doerr attends the prestigious Watches & Wonders fair in Switzerland and discovers that within the world of women’s timepieces romantic ideas are the order of the day
Watches & Wonders (formerly SIHH) is upon us, currently the largest and most luxurious watch fair in the world. And from what has so far become apparent at the fair – which is taking place until April 5 in Geneva, Switzerland – romantic notions look to be a likely hot trend in female wristwear this year…
Vacheron Constantin Patrimony Self-Winding
A decidedly unromantic name hides two decidedly romantic new automatic variations of Vacheron Constantin’s automatic Patrimony. They are inspired by Vacheron Constantin watches from 1957 as Christian Selmoni, the brand’s heritage and creative director, explained. “We completely rethought our ‘feminine offer’,” he explained, “creating a 36 mm watch with redesigned curves, longer lugs, a more rounded crown, and subtle details that still retain the purity and timelessness of this collection.” He then added, “Clearly, this hyper-elegant design was inspired by Vacheron Constantin timepieces from the 1950s, which were classic and contemporary at the same time.”
The first variation offers an exquisite blush-coloured dial with a powdery composition that features a contemporary gradient effect crafted using two layers of varnish. It is subtle and feminine, accentuated by a beautiful tone-in-tone date wheel – the date generally being a sore spot among watch enthusiasts. This one is absolutely perfect, though, the epitome of what a date should look like.
Housed in 36.5 mm rose gold (blush dial) and white gold (blue dial) cases, each variation comes with or without 72 diamonds (0.74 ct) set into the bezel. The variations without diamonds feature a dazzling minute track encircling the dial with 48 diamonds, a complex operation performed on an underlying domed surface, though that part is not visible in the end. The variations with diamonds on the bezels have elegant minute tracks comprising gold dots.
In a watch where every detail is just perfect – including an interchangeable strap system – so is the automatic movement powering it: Caliber 2450 Q6/3, only 3.6 mm high, and qualifying for the Seal of Geneva. These watches are available as of September 2022.
Elizabeth Doerr is the editor-in-chief of QuillAndPad.com, a digital publication that keeps a watch on time.
Lead image supplied.
From Harper’s Bazaar Arabia’s April 2022 issue.