Jeremy Allen White’s go-to Vacheron Constantin Patrimony is as clean as his white tees
Zach BlassJeremy Allen White, known for his tenure as Lip on the American version of Shameless, and latest hit show The Bear, playing the role of Jeff Berzatto – sorry, chef Berzatto – made headlines in fashion circles for his white tee. Viewers took notice, tracking down the maker, to discover it was no simple Hanes shirt – rather a US$105 Merz B. Schwanen loopwheel cotton shirt. “Zach, I thought this was a watch publication – not a fashion publication”, I hear you say. Fair enough, but I have gone on this tangent to establish White’s status as a bit of a style influencer, and as such, when appearing on the red carpet he and his team have to ensure he is maintaining that status quo. To go with it, his wrist is often adorned by the Vacheron Constantin Patrimony Self-winding we are going hands-on with today.
Like his loopwheel cotton shirts on The Bear, the Patrimony is a seemingly simple watch in expression – but ultimately meticulously crafted with attention to all details, whether visible or hidden.
The case
The modernly sized 40mm pink gold case is rounded and fully black polished with no sharp facets. Slim for an automatic watch with a date at just 8.55mm, the sloped and rounded bezel edge allows the watch to slide under a cuff with ease. Now, its lug-to-lug (being arguably the most important measurement) is 47mm – which is by no means too large. Within the dress watch category though, this gives the Patrimony wrist presence that skews more contemporary than classic. With its 30 metres of water-resistance, I am not suggesting you take laps with the watch on, as it’ll be more suited for a night out with mates or dates.
The dial
This Patrimony is pure in expression, with thin, polished, and applied pink gold hour indices and small diamond-polished gold beads serving as the minute counter. In a straight line working from 12 to 6 o’clock, you’ll find the applied Maltese cross Vacheron Constantin logo, three central stick hands conveying the hours, minutes, and seconds, and at the bottom, a centrally positioned black-on-white date complication which upholds the symmetry of the dial. It’s a timeless arrangement that once again feels more contemporary with its larger dial real estate. While a pink gold watch, the opaline silver hue of the dial allows the Patrimony Self-winding to be versatile. As expected, it will wear well with a suit or formal attire, but would look equally at home with Carmy’s usual restaurant get up.
The strap
By default, Vacheron Constantin offers this Patrimony model on a brown alligator leather strap that is secured to the wrist with a polished, pink-gold, Maltese cross ardillon buckle. It’s an elegant look, and, of course, a brown strap and rose gold case is a natural chocolatey pairing. That being said, depending on whether you dress the watch up or down, you may very well want to pick another colour or texture for the factory strap upon purchasing. The brand itself certainly has a wide array of options available, and considering the strap is 20mm in width (tapering down to 18mm), you have pretty much endless aftermarket options available to explore as well.
The movement
Flip the watch over, and you will see the exhibited in-house automatic calibre 2450 Q6/3. The 40-hour power reserve time and date movement includes hacking seconds functionality and beats at a 4Hz rate. The calibre also notably bears the Hallmark of Geneva, as it is exquisitely decorated to the standard befitting of a member of the holy trinity. Bridges are beautifully striped and bevelled, with an openworked, solid gold rotor that exhibits fine brushing, polishing, bevelling, frosting, and engraving. As you can probably see very well from all of these images, and hopefully the video above as well, every part of this watch is finished to a drool-worthy standard.
The verdict
Ultimately, this Vacheron Constantin Patrimony is effortlessly cool – timeless in its aesthetic, and contemporary in its dimensions, while being respectful of classic dress watch proportions. We can all argue and guess what the next colour of the year is, or what is the hot trend. Watches like this, however, never go out of fashion. Safe, yet smokin’ in its appeal. If I had to change one thing, I would probably opt to swap its dark brown alligator strap for a black, blue, or dark grey to further maximise its versatility.
Vacheron Constantin Patrimony Self-winding pricing and availability
The Vacheron Constantin Patrimony Self-winding 85180 is available now for purchase via Vacheron Constantin boutiques or authorised dealers. Price: A$53,000, US$31,800
| Brand | Vacheron Constantin |
| Model | Patrimony Self-winding |
| Reference No. | 85180/000R-9248 |
| Case Dimensions | 40mm (D) x 8.55mm (T) x 47mm (LTL) |
| Case Material | 18K pink gold |
| Water Resistance | 30 metres |
| Crystal | Sapphire crystal front and exhibition caseback |
| Dial | Silver opaline |
| Strap | Dark brown alligator strap w/ 18k pink gold ardillon buckle |
| Movement | 2450 Q6/3, in-house, automatic, Geneva Hallmark |
| Power Reserve | 40 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, seconds, date |
| Availability | Now |
| Price | A$53,000, US$31,800 |