Vacheron Constantin’s new Les Collectionneurs programme curates vintage VC models
Borna BošnjakIf 2022 was the year of the hype watch, 2023 seems to be the time for brands to officially recognise the importance of their back catalogues. Vacheron Constantin, long the masters of understatement and only recently beginning to gain much-deserved appreciation, have actually been running their Les Collectionneurs programme since 2008. Starting in 2023, however, watches worthy of Les Collectionneurs inclusion have been made available via select Vacheron Constantin boutiques, as well as the brand’s online store. Currently offered from the brand’s US, Shanghai and Dubai boutiques, we got the opportunity to check out three of these incredible creations in person.
Vacheron Constantin openworked perpetual calendar, platinum, ref. 43032- 1995
What better way to start than with the biggest of the big guns. The reference 43032 hails from 1995, and is crafted in 36mm of 950 platinum, offering views of the hand-engraved perpetual calendar calibre within. This watch, and in particular the movement, were hugely important for the survival of such complicated watches in the advent of the quartz crisis. The base for what would become the 1120/1 QP-SQ is Jaeger-LeCoultre’s pre-quartz crisis calibre 920, the thinnest automatic movement on the market at the time. With the help of a reworked perpetual calendar module from Dubois Dépraz, the Vacheron Constantin manufacture developed the 1120 QP. If anything proves just how incredible this movement was (or should I say, is), it’s the fact that it’s still in production today, powering the likes of the Patrimony, Overseas and Traditionnelle models, though with some changes since the original.
The ref. 43032 is not just important, it’s also really rare. With only about 150 skeletonised platinum pieces made, of which the majority had white sub-dials like the model in this instance, it doesn’t really get more special – and we haven’t even spoken about the engraving work. These days, the word “skeletonised” is thrown around a bit too easily. This, dear reader, is skeletonisation. Meticulous carving of intricate openings while preserving the movement structure, all the while adding floral flourishes and decoration.
One totally nerdy (and to most surely ridiculous) detail to point out is the strap – bear with me. See those little indents in the ends of the straps – those are there so you can remove it without damaging the case. You wouldn’t want to scratch a platinum lug, now would you?
The Vacheron Constantin ref. 43032 is part of the Shanghai watch selection, listed as available from the United States on the brand’s Australian website. Price is on request.
| Brand | Vacheron Constantin |
| Model | Openworked Perpetual Calendar |
| Reference Number | 43032 |
| Case Dimensions | 36mm (D) x 7.5mm (T) |
| Case Material | Platinum |
| Water Resistance | N/A |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire |
| Dial | Openworked |
| Lug Width | 19mm |
| Bracelet | Calf leather, white gold deployant buckle |
| Movement | 1120/1 QP-SQ, automatic, hand-engraved |
| Power Reserve | 40 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, perpetual calendar with moonphase |
| Availability | Now |
| Price | POA |
Vacheron Constantin jumping hours and mysterious minutes, 18k yellow gold, ref. 43040 – 1996
Despite its relatively small size and platinum case, the 43032 is hardly subtle – so here’s a piece that’s more subtle still. The reference 43040 from 1996 sports a dial that basically omits a regular handset, opting instead for a jumping hour aperture at 12 o’clock, and an onyx mysterious minutes pointer. Even though this particular piece was produced in the late 20th century, its Art Deco inspirations actually go back to the 1930s, and the rare pocket and wristwatches of the era. These early timepieces, conceived by Robert Cart, used either a wandering or fixed-position jumping hour indicator, the latter of which, also known as the Type II, were commissioned by Vacheron & Constantin (as they were known at the time) and named the Chronoscope.
Fast-forward to the early 1990s, and Vacheron Constantin would revive this design with the reimagined Chronoscope, sporting a JLC 920-based example of the Calibre 1120 – this time with the HS, or heures sautantes, denomination. The collection consisted of yellow gold and platinum examples, totalling some 400 pieces – this particular example is part of the 250 or so made in yellow gold.
While there are no excessive flourishes to its design, there are a few touches that I’m particularly fond of. The first is the small Maltese cross that replaces the arrow indices surrounding the rest of the dial, and the other is the shape of the surround to the jumping hours aperture. Vacheron Constantin could’ve easily gone for a simple, trapezoidal form here, instead opting for a more fitting open book-like one.
The Vacheron Constantin ref. 43040 is part of the Shanghai watch selection, available from the United States on the brand’s Australian website. Price: A$134,000
| Brand | Vacheron Constantin |
| Model | Jumping Hours and Mysterious Minutes |
| Reference Number | 43040 |
| Case Dimensions | 36mm (D) x 7mm (T) |
| Case Material | 18k yellow gold |
| Water Resistance | N/A |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire |
| Dial | Cream guilloché with onyx minutes pointer |
| Lug Width | 19mm |
| Bracelet | Calf leather, yellow gold ardillon buckle |
| Movement | 1120/2 HS, automatic, annular beryllium balance and flat balance spring |
| Power Reserve | 40 hours |
| Functions | Jumping hour, mysterious minutes |
| Availability | Now |
| Price | A$134,000 |
Vacheron Constantin octagonal time-only, 18k white gold, ref. 34004 – 1974
The last member of this trio is the dad of the group, and perfectly encapsulates the era it hails from. The mid-1970s were awash with curiously shaped cases, and the usage of natural stone dials was at its peak. The reference 34004 combines the two, putting together an eminently elegant black onyx and a soft-square white gold case measuring only 6.5mm in height.
Despite being produced post-quartz crisis, the 34004 sports a K1014 calibre, a fine manually wound, extra-thin movement. It once again shows the importance of Vacheron Constantin’s and JLC’s partnership at the time, as the K1014 was an evolution of a long-term supply chain of movements. Even though JLC provided the raw ébauches at this time, Vacheron Constantin’s movements were far and away superior in terms of finishing, beginning with the stunning calibres 1001 and 1002. Those two in particular have been hailed as some of the finest hand-wound movements ever made – though the looming shadow of the quartz crisis would leave its mark on even this segment. The 1014 that was introduced in the early ’70s is much more akin to its JLC 818 counterpart, its finishing and technology reflecting the compromises manufacturers had to make at the time.
Having said that, and on a personal note, this is the one watch of the three presented that I’d wear on a daily basis – it speaks to me in its uncomplicated, yet refined, expression, begging to be worn with a pair of tassel loafers and a wide-lapelled, checkered-trouser suit.
The Vacheron Constantin ref. 34004 was available in the United States, but has since been sold. Sold for: A$41,800
| Brand | Vacheron Constantin |
| Model | Octagonal |
| Reference Number | 34004 |
| Case Dimensions | 29mm (W) x 6.5mm (T) x 38mm (LTL) |
| Case Material | 18k white gold |
| Water Resistance | N/A |
| Dial | Black onyx |
| Lug Width | 18mm |
| Bracelet | Calf leather, 18k white gold ardillon buckle |
| Movement | K1014, manual winding, 2.94mm thickness |
| Functions | Hours, minutes |
| Availability | Sold out |
| Price | A$41,800 |