The Watch You Knew Was Coming Finally Arrived — Hands-On With The Vacheron Constantin Historiques 222 In Steel
Get ready for a year of special Vacheron Constantin creations. To grab your attention, the brand’s 270th-anniversary celebrations kick off with a watch you knew was coming — the Historiques 222 in steel. The much-anticipated watch made it to Fratello HQ ahead of the embargo. It was a perfect way to experience firsthand if the revamped 1970s icon in steel lived up to all of our high expectations.
If you’re a Vacheron Constantin fan, 2025 will be a year to remember. This year marks the 270th year of the Maison, which has made a name for itself by creating complicated, innovative, and elegant timepieces. What better watch to get the party started than the 222, a watch created in 1977 to celebrate the brand’s 222nd birthday?
Hands-on with the Vacheron Constantin Historiques 222 in steel
The original 222 debuted in 1977. A Jorg Hysek design, it featured a barrel-shaped case topped with a notched, round bezel with design elements of the Maltese Cross, also seen in the integrated bracelet. The 222 came in three variations — steel, steel/gold, and full gold. There was also a choice of two case sizes. The small 34mm version was outfitted with quartz movement. The 37mm “Jumbo” iteration, however, used the ultra-thin caliber 1121. This 3.05mm-thick movement was a perfect match with the 7mm-thick monobloc case, which required the movement to be fitted from the top. Although thin and elegant, the case was water resistant to a practical 120 meters thanks to its screw-down bezel. The watch displayed the hours, minutes, and the date.
The same but different
The 2025 Historiques 222 doesn’t have precisely the same proportions, but it stays pretty close to the 1970s original. Its steel case measures 37mm in diameter, 7.95mm thick, and 45.3mm from lug to lug. The finishing is top notch, as you would expect from a watch that earned the Geneva Seal. Once you’ve put it on your wrist, you don’t want to take it off again. That’s partly due to the ultra-smooth finishing but also because of the perfect proportions, the charismatic matte, dark blue dial, and the look that proves timeless. And I really dig the yellow gold Maltese cross placed at 5 o’clock. The new 222 has a series of improvements. Its bracelet, for instance, now closes with a triple-blade rather than a twin-blade clasp. It also has been redesigned to hide the visible pins, improving both the aesthetics and the ergonomics.
Through the sapphire window of the case back, we get a view of the in-house caliber 2455/2. This newer movement is slightly smaller and thicker than the caliber 1121 in the original 222, but it’s still quite svelte at just 3.6mm thick. Since this is a celebratory watch, the oscillating weight shows an engraving of the original 222 logo and a notched motif reminiscent of the bezel. The beat rate increased from 2.75 Hz (19,800 vibrations per hour) on the original movement to 4 Hz (28,800 vibrations per hour). VC says the new movement is more accurate than the old one, but the 40-hour power reserve is six hours less than the old Jaeger-LeCoultre 920-based caliber 1121.
The Historiques 222 in steel raises and answers a question
With Vacheron’s reintroduction of the 222, I wondered if the watch rendered the current Overseas obsolete. The reintroduced 222 models are still very much a 1970s design. But they are also the watches from which the current Overseas collection evolved. The Overseas models in the current collection shed their 1970s origin and grew bigger and bolder. The Maltese-cross-inspired bezel and bracelet of the post-2004 and pre-2016 Overseas models were so angular and prominent that it was hard to see the watches’ origins.
You could argue that the 39 Overseas models in the 2025 collection — timepieces that result from a 2016 reinvention of the Overseas that smoothed and softened their appearance — are so different from the 1970s 222 watches you can’t call them the result of natural evolution anymore. And that’s a good thing because it means the Historiques 222 can live side by side with the Overseas. For nostalgic watch fans, there’s the 222, while for lovers of something more contemporary, there’s a range of Overseas watches to choose from. For example, there’s the 41mm Overseas Self-Winding in steel with a black, silver, or blue dial. This €27,600 luxurious sports watch is a completely different “beast” than the 37mm Historiques 222 in steel. And it probably appeals to a very different audience.
Final words, pricing, and availability of the blue-dialed Historiques 222 in steel
What are the highlights of the blue-dialed Historiques 222 in steel? Well, that blue dial, for one. The absence of a smoky finish is a reason to rejoice, especially since we seem to be in an era when a gradient dial is the default setting for vintage-inspired watches. Vacheron Constantin stayed close to the original — the 2025 222 is not a retro watch but, rather, a reinterpretation — and shows that a perfect blue hue trumps a special effect.
The blue-dialed Historiques 222 in steel is not a limited edition per se. However, it’s only available from Vacheron Constantin boutiques, and it has a price of €35,300. Now tell me: is the 222 in steel everything you hoped for? And what else would you like to see coming out during the brand’s 270th anniversary this year? Just so you know, Vacheron Constantin promises a milestone anniversary with exceptional timepieces accompanied by a dedicated soundtrack composed by Woodkid, a French musician and artistic director. Let’s get this watch party started!
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