Vacheron Constantin Historiques American 1921 NY Boutique

Vacheron Constantin launched the Historiques American 1921 in 2008 to great fanfare. Not only did it bring back an iconic design from the past in a brilliantly conceived update, but it was the inaugural watch to house the newly designed caliber 4400. I wrote a review of the watch in 2009:

vacheron.watchprosite.com

And I’m sure that I am not the only one who considers this to be one of the top designs from Vacheron Constantin over the past decade.

With the opening of the its first retail boutique in North American on Madison Avenue at 64th Street in New York, Vacheron Constantin created three exclusive timepieces for the New York Boutique. The flagship watch was a unique variation on the Patrimony Traditionnelle  Calibre 2755, with tourbillon, minute repeater, and perpetual calendar:


Next was a limited edition of 20 pieces of the stainless steel Overseas Perpetual Calendar Chronograph with highlighting the red white and blue of the flag of the United States. There may only be one or two left


The third watch, and the focus here, is the Historiques American 1921 with a special dial, limited to 64 numbered pieces.


Side by side with the standard production 1921 a couple of differences stand out.


One is that the case is in yellow gold, like the original models that debuted over 90 years ago. The second is that the numbers and hands on the dial are different, also harking back to a vintage model:


The Boutique 1921 definitely has more of a vintage feel than the standard 1921 due to the yellow gold case, the style and beige coloring of the numbers, and the dramatic hands. Slightly more subtle is the printed diamond along the railroad minute track at the 12, 3, 6, and 9 o’clock positions.

In the original design from 1921 you will notice that the subseconds dial cuts into Arabic hours at 5, 6, and 7, and this effect is captured in the Boutique 1921, with the slight cutting out of the 2 and 4, and the almost complete obscuring of the 3. While I like this faithfulness to the original dial, I find one of the magical aspects of the standard American 1921 to be the slight enlarging of the 12, 6 and 9 compared to the other Arabic hours (the 3 is omitted). This allowed the 2 and 4 to be written in full, without the subdial invading their space. These are two

Of course the caliber 4400 is visible through the sapphire crystal case back.


This movement has now been in production for three full years, and it has proven to be a reliable performer. As you can see, the Boutique American 1921 has an engraving on the back to indicate its origin and series number. Kudos to Vacheron Constantin for not succumbing to the current trend of calling each piece in a limited edition “One of XX.”


Conclusion

I have regularly stated my appreciation of and passion for the Historiques American 1921. Its design is inspired, and its execution leaves nothing to be desired. The same can be said for the New York Boutique 1921, with its more literal updating from its ancestral timepiece. Being a limited edition does mean the NY Boutique exclusive carries a price premium to the standard model, but it is not material. If you are in the market for the Historiques 1921, consider both, and pick the one that sings to you.

Bill Lind
VC Forum Moderator