I really like Vacheron Constantin. I wouldn’t go as far as calling it underrated, but it definitely has the tendency to stand back to its more famous cousins, like Patek Philippe and Jaeger-LeCoultre. So it is with mixed feelings that I read that VC was announced as the winner of the Montres Passion‘s watch of the year award with its Historiques American 1921.
On the one hand, I’m happy for VC for the reason just stated. On the other hand, I think the watch it self is a pretty poor candidate for such an award (mind you, I have to idea what its competitors were). An homage to the avant-garde watches of the roaring 1920s, the HA is a cushion-cased affair with a case that’s tilted so to speak with a brand new handwound in-house movement with a power reserve of 65 hours. As per usual with Vacheron, you’re getting nothing else than top notch workmanship. So what’s my issue? Well, it pains me greatly, but I think that such awards should be given to watches that are avant-garde today rather than 80 years ago. I’m not saying that it needs to be given to Urkraft, Richard Mille or the like, but something a little less ordinary. The VC to me looks like a Radiomir case with a nice but bland Breguet-style dial and hands.
Just to avoid sounding like some sort of a opinionated brat, what do you think? Is it a deserving winner? What is your favorite watch released this year?
