Vacheron Constantin Historiques 222: A review. Optimized weight balance that instantly eliminates the sense of weight.

The Historiques 222 is a modern take on the Ref. 44018, of which only 100 were produced in 1977. Based on the 37mm diameter "Jumbo," it features a three-piece case with a transparent back, but the case thickness has increased by only 0.45mm. The increased rigidity of the bracelet results in an optimized weight balance that completely eliminates the weight of the gold case.

"Historique 222" Impression Items

1. Case
Is the crown easy to pull and turn?: Yes
Is there any play on the left and right when you pull out the crown?

2. Bracelet & Strap
Is the buckle easy to remove?
Is the bracelet loose, the strap bend, and the hole pitch appropriate?: Yes

3. Dial, hands, and crystal
When exposed to a strong light source, do the indexes and hands sink into the dial? Yes
Isn't the clearance between the dial and the hands too large? : △

4. Movement
Is the needle setting smooth? : △
Is the sound of the rotors rotating annoying? Yes

Accuracy test results using a rate measuring device (static accuracy)

Vintage look with optimized weight balance

　It really does feel heavy. That was my first impression when I first wore the Vacheron Constantin Historiques 222, just released in 2022. According to the manufacturer's documentation, the watch weighs 205g as shipped. Even with the bracelet adjusted to fit my wrist with about four links, it weighed 185g. It's been a while since I've worn a gold bracelet watch. My everyday 41mm manual-winding watch (steel case with alligator strap) weighed 75g, so the difference is clear. The Historiques 222 traces its roots back to the 222, designed by Jorg Hysek in 1977, the 222nd anniversary of the company's founding, when the watch was just starting out.

　Nicknamed "Jumbo," the 37mm two-piece case was only produced for one year, with 500 stainless steel watches, 120 stainless steel and 18K gold watches, and only 100 18K gold watches. However, for this remake, Vacheron Constantin chose the rarest 18K gold case, Ref. 44018, as the inspiration model. Moreover, rather than simply aiming for a perfect reproduction, they have skillfully adapted it as part of the Historiques collection.

　The biggest difference is that the ultra-thin automatic caliber 1120, which is still used as the base for perpetual calendars, has been replaced with the high-beat caliber 2455/2. The thickness of the movement has increased by 1.15 mm, and the case has been made into three pieces and the case back has been made transparent, but changes to the proportions have been kept to a minimum.

　45 years after the original's creation, the most significant improvement on the new 222 is the bracelet's rigidity. The original bracelet was thin, and many of those found in the antique market have loose links, making them feel soft on the wrist. In contrast, the new 222 bracelet is thicker, with tighter clearance between each link, making it feel stiffer. Considering the weight of the 18-karat gold case, this is a reasonable consideration. Because the 222's buckle lacks a fine-tuning mechanism, I adjusted the bracelet length slightly loose, so that the tip of my pinky finger could fit in. After wearing it for a while, the initial feeling of weight disappeared, and it no longer felt excessively heavy. This is evidence of the appropriate weight balance between the headpiece and bracelet, as well as the excellent grip of the buckle. My wrist is about 17 cm, but those who prefer a tighter fit could still add another link. Although it is difficult to achieve a precise adjustment that covers everyone, the original weight balance is excellent, so even if you wear it loosely it feels extremely comfortable.

　The caliber 2455/2 is based on the core automatic movement most commonly used by Vacheron Constantin today. Its prototype is the 2450 series, designed by VCVJ in 2005, and was the company's first dedicated center-seconds movement. The 2455/2 installed in the 222 retains a date display, but is a two-hand design that eliminates the center-seconds hand. While the stop-seconds mechanism with shock absorber is still in place, it has an unusual design in that it does not have a seconds hand itself. This eliminates the need for meticulous time setting, and even after wearing the watch for around 72 hours, there is no chance of errors accumulating down to the minute.

　However, that wouldn't be much of an interesting test, so I decided to take a closer look at the date display. The 2455/2's date display is a quick-change type with a fast-forward function. However, in reality, there is a slight preliminary movement. On our test watch, the date disc begins to move at approximately 11:22 PM, and at approximately 11:45 PM, it has rotated about one-fifth of the way, at which point it stops. From this point, the date changes with a click, roughly between 12:07 AM and 12:10 AM, which is probably within the standard tolerance range for this type of date model. The winding is unidirectional, but the rattle of the bearings as the rotor spins is so quiet that it's difficult to hear unless you listen carefully.

　The feel of turning the hands is a bit heavy, but I prefer this to something that's too light. Also, even when I pushed the crown in roughly, there was no jumping of the minute hand, which is common with center-seconds wheels. When checking the rate in a static state, a large positional error was found, but on average it was not enough to affect the accuracy. If I had to say, whether the crown is up or down, placing it horizontally has a negative tendency, so it would be better to store it flat. This is thought to be due to the position at which the balance spring is wound, and it seems to be a characteristic common to the entire 2450 series.