The Vacheron Constantin 41mm Patrimony Traditionnelle Self-Winding

Dress watches are where my passion for horology began. As a young kid I would sit on my grandparents' couch, staring at my grandfather's gold Longines, with its glossy black dial, thin case, and tiny diamond at 12 o'clock. To me, it represented the pinnacle of adulthood - elegance, experience, knowledge, and all. 

But the world looks very different now than it did when our grandparents grew up, and that totem of adulthood might look a little different as well. Few watchmakers, let alone true manufactures, have a history of producing dress watches so emblematic of the time in which they were made as Vacheron Constantin. Whether it's their rectangular watches from the 1920s and 30s, the now archetypal tear-drop lug cases of the 1940s and 50s, or the restrained, round ultra-thins of the 60s, they maintain a certain DNA while balancing timelessness and sense of place.  

Thanks to the good people of Vacheron Constantin North America, I had the opportunity to spend a week wearing one of their distinctly 21st century dress watches, the 41mm Patrimony Traditionnelle Self-Winding in rose gold. This outstanding timepiece is a perfect fit for the man who wants to nod to the past while standing firmly in the present. And although this watch features no complications (not even a seconds hand), there is a lot going on here to understand.