ADVANCING LEGACY

With Vacheron Constantin's 270th anniversary arriving next year, let's take a moment to appreciate what truly makes the maison great through three of its quietest novelties

- CHARMIAN LEONG

With so many stars-in-the-making at Watches and Wonders Geneva, it would take something quite spectacular to linger in memory. Vacheron Constantin had more than a few of those somethings. The Egerie - Pleats of Time was a three-way collaboration with couturier Yiqing Yin and perfumer Dominique Ropion, creating the world's first perfume concept watch. The Grand Lady Kalla returns in a transformable guise, with the high jewellery secret watch accompanied by a gem-set bracelet and sautoir necklace. There was a small army of Overseas models, four with olive green dials and one in full titanium, revealing the brand's keen sense of prevailing trends. And of course there was the Berkley Grand Complication pocket watch, now the most complicated timepiece in the world.

But Vacheron Constantin was not founded on trends and spectacle (however adept the brand may be at both). It has remained one of the most respected watchmaking brands today because it spent the last 269 years perfecting the art of classic elegance, backed up by a rigorous approach to mechanical innovation. And it is in the Patrimony and Traditionelle collections that one can best connect with this heritage.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Patrimony collection, and looking at its three commemorative models, the casual enthusiast would be hard pressed to tell what is special about them. That is the whole point. The Patrimony watches were inspired by models from the 1950s, where post-war optimism and prosperity combined with the influence of the Bauhaus movement led to designs that blended modernism with traditional elements. At Vacheron Constantin, this meant a focus on clean lines, simplicity, and functionality.