Vacheron Constantin Les Historiques Chronograph “Retro”

The hand-wound dress chronograph is a watch aficionado’s watch: slim and unassuming, only those in the know can appreciate the mechanical city that lurks within. The finest hand-wound chronographs are powered by intricate mechanical movements that offer plenty of eye candy when they are not hidden behind a solid caseback. Most of the upper echelon Swiss and German brands offer hand-wound dress chronographs in their current model lines.

Those looking for a (slightly) more affordable alternative should consider the second-hand market, more specifically models from the prestige brands that are out-of-production, but less than 20 years old. Price range include the Ulysse Nardin 175th Anniversary Monopoussoir, the Roger Dubuis Hommage Chronograph and theVacheron Constantin Les Historiques Chronograph. The first two examples are quite rare, only occasionally appearing up for auction, but it is still not too difficult to source a Les Historiques Chronograph in excellent condition. Here, we take an in-depth look at the silver-dialed 18k yellow gold version of the Les Historiques Chronograph (Ref. 47101), by far the most commonly-available flavor of the five that were produced.

The Vacheron Constantin Les Historiques Chronograph, which was produced between approximately 1990 and 2003, pays homage to the Vacheron Constantin Ref. 4178 of the 1940s and 1950s. However, the homage is not a slaveless one; the modern iteration features an updated movement, a signed crown and twin sapphire crystals, features that were not in fashion (or invented) during the Ref. 4178’s heyday.

Upon first inspection, the eye is drawn to the elegant symmetry achieved by the bicompax layout of the subdials. Despite the presence of a full tachymeter scale and fine sub-second markings, the Les Historiques dial does not appear to be cluttered. While the black-and-gold color scheme certainly helps, the designers should be commended for the lack of superfluous printing in the lower half of the dial. The applied Arabic numerals and baton markers are tastefully done, but faceted edges would have provided some additional visual “oomph”. The warm silver dials are finished with a retro touch: the main dial is finished with a smooth glaze; while the subdials feature a circlage pattern (fine concentric circles) to improve legibility. The applied Maltese cross logo and fine gold edging that surrounds the subdials and index markings are indicative of a high-end watch.

The gold baton hands that mark the passage of time are faithful to the era, but they lack the character of the leaf-shaped subdial hands. The minute hand suffers from a contentious case of Ariel Adam’s syndrome. While its tip does not quite reach the index markings, the thinly-engraved edge that borders its swept path of rotation ensures the time can be read to-the-minute without issue. Traditionalists may be disappointed that the tip of the chronograph seconds hand is not curved inwards towards the dial, but this nostalgic feature is unnecessary with the distortion-free sapphire crystal, which is gently curved.