Words: Aobh O'Brien-Moody
This year marks the 20th anniversary of Vacheron Constantin’s Patrimony collection. Created in 2004 but inspired by the high watchmaking era of the 1950s, the collection is the result of a vision that marries aesthetic minimalism with mechanical excellence. In the 20 years since the launch of this horological icon, Patrimony watches have remained faithful to this quintessentially classic watchmaking philosophy.
Collectors have come to expect a formal simplicity typified by a round case with a slim bezel, as well as a refined, domed dial with slender, applied hour-markers, curved baton-type hands and ‘pearl’ minutes track. “When we launched the Patrimony collection 20 years ago, we were inspired by the aesthetics of the 1950s, a decade characterised by refinement and elegance,” says Christian Selmoni, Vacheron Constantin’s style and heritage director. “The collection continues this tradition of extreme understatement, confirming a desire to create watches that are both modern and timeless.”
VACHERON CONSTANTIN Patrimony Self-Winding Limited Edition, £34,000, vacheron-constantin.com
Now, to celebrate two decades of understated artistry, Vacheron Constantin presents a new Patrimony self-winding model. The timepiece is designed in collaboration with Ora Ito, a French designer renowned for his philosophy of ‘simplexity’ – that is, the process of “making simpler what is too complicated”. It’s an aesthetic approach that perfectly characterises the minimalism of the Patrimony family, in particular this latest addition. Limited to 100 pieces, the watch features a 40mm yellow gold case framing a tone-on-tone, gold-coloured dial adorned with a seemingly infinite number of concentric circles catching the light. The gold theme continues across the applied hour markers, the ‘pearl’ minutes track, and the slender, subtly curved hands.
Retro-inspired details, such as the date discreetly appearing at 6 o’clock in a tone-on-tone aperture, or the Vacheron Constantin logo nestled under the sapphire crystal by metallic transfer, recall the urbanity of those mid-century models. At the same time Ito’s contemporary influence is keenly felt. “It is very important that our designers, when working on future products, can nurture the precious ties between our heritage and our current collections,” says Selmoni. “The unfailing success of Patrimony watches can doubtless be explained by this combination of classicism and modernity.”
Want more from Vacheron Constantin? Discover a triumvirate of recently launched Patrimony models...
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