Words: Josh Lee
With progress in constant motion in almost all facets of modern life – the move towards all-electric in the automotive world, fashion houses taking a greener outlook on their production lines, the insatiable, never-ending expansion of the MCU – watch enthusiasts will be very aware of the envelope pushing that’s occurred in horology design in recent years. There may already be timepieces for ocean exploring, but, these days, formulating a piece of wristwear for Mars is the mission. Senturion offers a line of wearables that can start your supercar. And, on an aesthetic level, there are character creations – including Kermit, Marge Simpson and Snoopy – that merge the nostalgic days of youth with the coming-of-age act that is watch purchasing.
VACHERON CONSTANTIN, Patrimony Manual-Winding in white gold, £24,200, vacheron-constantin.com
Though such elaborate pieces come with their virtues, we find that, when trying to do a quarterly clean, reaching for something with refined lines and a straightforward ethos works best for the season ahead. Some of the latest watches to wrap themselves around our wrists – and ones that fit this exact bill – are Vacheron Constantin’s new Patrimony Manual-Winding and Patrimony Moon Phase Retrograde Date. The launches mark the line’s 20th-birthday this year and are defined by their pure appearance, which folds together beautifully rounded curves, a prosaic silhouette, and a new sunburst silver-toned dial that has a vintage spirit.
VACHERON CONSTANTIN, Patrimony Manual-Winding in pink gold, £24,200, vacheron-constantin.com
The manual-winding pieces (available in either pink-gold or white-gold) have had their diameter reduced from 40mm to 39mm, which makes for subtle wearing, and also have straps in spring-summer-friendly shades of olive green and azure blue. The third model, which features a 42.5mm white-gold case and can also be buckled up in the former colourway, is mainly defined by its retrograde date display towards the top of the dial, and the moonphase indication in an ornamental aperture at 6 o’clock.
VACHERON CONSTANTIN, Patrimony Moon Phase Retrograde Date, £47,600, vacheron-constantin.com
Though such complications have limited modern-day use – given the ubiquity of smartphone calendars and the fact that, well, we’re no longer dictated by lunar orbits – Vacheron has such a way with highlighting their throwback qualities that even we can be convinced that a few little details on a pared-down design couldn’t hurt too much.
This feature was taken from our Spring 2024 issue. Read more about it here.
Want more watch content? We dive into Blancpain’s commitment to ocean conservation…
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