VIDEO: A week on the wrist with the Vacheron Constantin Historiques American 1921

Time+Tide

Last year, the Vacheron Constantin Historiques American 1921 collection turned 100 years old. But when a design remains incredibly compelling for over a century, you’ve got to admit that it goes beyond mere stylistic whims as Andrew discovered when he tried it out for a week on the wrist.

There’s no denying that Vacheron Constantin Historiques American 1921 is a truly distinctive watch mainly because of the skew-whiff angle of the dial. This quirky position is tilted in that way to supposedly make it easier to read while driving.  But that’s not what Andrew found, leading him to dig a little deeper into the backstory and discover something about old-fashioned steering-wheel designs in the process.

Solving that mystery, however, didn’t make the dial orientation any more intuitive for Andrew, who explains in this video how he still found himself cocking his head to one side to read the time.  Matters also weren’t made any easier by the fact that the 60-second position on the sundial occupies a standard position by pointing due north, causing further confusion for your poor, addled brain

Despite these adjustments, Time+Tide’s founder admits that he was won over by the the Vacheron Constantin Historiques American 1921 for a number of reasons. For starters, the quality of the brown leather strap with its fumé tones is, Andrew insists, “simply peerless”.  Then there’s the fact that the in-house calibre 4400 AS, which is visible through the open caseback, is just as much a work of art as the watch itself.

But something that Andrew admits he truly didn’t expect was this watch’s ability to magnetise people’s attention. The unique looks of the American 1921 ensures that it’s a genuine conversation starter that generates interest from passers-by on a regular basis.

“This watch will not just lead to impressing someone,” Andrew says. “It’s likely to lead to connection  with people who know watches.”

The Vacheron Constantin Historiques American 1921 pricing and availability

The Vacheron Constantin Historiques American 1921 is available now from Vacheron retailers for $54,400 AUD