respo
4777
Thanks for the summary
...and for making me drool a little bit. ;-)
I really love the Historiques line -- not a single one of them that I would kick out of bed, so to speak. The CR and the 1968, in particular, really slay me.
You know the price discrepancy between the 1921 and the PT both with the same cal. 4400 really did not phase me at all. Perhaps I was so blinded by the beauty of the 1921, I was willing to pay the premium. I may have justified it by telling myself that it is a low-production piece with a case that is not being used on any other watches, so that there has to be a higher cost associated with the very limited use of the special case with one model. Not to mention the special hands and dial finishing, etc. involved with the 1921. But those are mere justifications to myself, I fear. There is no rationality involved for me when I am so taken with a watch like this. However, with these price increases, by all of the brands and not just VC, I will have fewer opportunities to act irrationally.
That ref. 6161 is superb. I love the lugs on that one, and the movement is so lovely.
Thanks for a beautiful post, Bill.
respo
Survey of the Historiques Collection
Vacheron Constantin originally developed the Historiques collection in the early 1990’s during the mechanical watch renaissance. These watches drew on Vacheron Constantin’s rich heritage of design, bringing classic designs such as the 4072, 4178, and Cioc...
Les Historiques is one of my favourite line of VC modern watches.
So thank you for such a post. You're right, it is impossible to know what is in a collector's mind, the irrational wins over the rational, and it is a good thing, I believe. Still, I regret to not see more " Malte " cases, with these superb teardrop lugs....
Am a fan of the Malte too - Alex says it will be featured next year at SIHH
but not in Historiques line, I think. Bill, do you know how well sales of Malte watches bear up?
The Malte does well....
but as they are complicated watches they tend to be quite expensive, which limits the market to some extent. Also, I think more people prefer round watches to tonneau cases (though I would suggest more people try them on the wrist rather than look at them...
Thank you, Nicolas
I look forward to seeing a platinum CR on your wrist some day! Bill
Referencing the cal 4400 warehoused in the 1921 and the Patrimony
Is there any movement finishing to further justify the price premium beyond the case? Thanks for the excellent report. Best, Horo
Nothing special on the 4400 in the 1921
compared with the Patirmony Traditionnelle. Bill
Rarity is the key word
Hi, First time to post. I've been only lurking around and the subject this time was very interesting. I happen to own Chronometer Royal 1907 with red 12. You are very right in that the high premium is hard to be justified. Well, I thought so in the beginn...
I'm so glad to hear that you are thrilled with your watch!
as well you should be with performance like it gives you. I have yet to hear from anyone dissatisfied with his Historiques, whatever the model. Thank you for your first posting! Bill
Beautiful watches!
I really like the Chronometre Royal red 12, and of course the Am 1921! Thank you for sharing these! Best Blomman
You're welcome, Bloman...
There are so many great watches in the Historiques collection. BIll
The Historiques line is one of my favorites
The Historiques line is one of my favorites as it is not limited to a certain design but instead follows a theme (historical models). I own the carry over Toledo which is a lovely looking watch. My only peeve is that the JLC based movement does not offer ...
And in Japan you have accesss to the new 1954 Aronde
in white gold, right? (feel free to share your photos again!) Bill
Thanks for the summary
...and for making me drool a little bit. ;-) I really love the Historiques line -- not a single one of them that I would kick out of bed, so to speak. The CR and the 1968, in particular, really slay me. You know the price discrepancy between the 1921 and ...
Thanks for reading, respo...
There really is something special about these Historiques models. I've come to the point in my collecting experience where I would rather own/experience special watches like these or the Excellence Platine rather than have many watches, of which some migh...
Thanks Bill. Great post. [nt]
No message body This message has been edited by Davo on 2011-09-03 03:41:07
Great post Bill!
I was attracted to the Historiques collection ever since I started learning and developing this passion for VC. I discovered my love of the Historiques was really due to my preference for vintage. I then started to learn and collect vintage VCs. Now that ...
Hi Dan...
I agree that the new Historiques models have to have that little something special to distinguish them from their predecessors (something the early 90's Historiques models did not excel at) . First and foremost they have to be sized for contemporary taste...
Thanks for the great recap on the 'recent' additions to the Histouriques
collection. Always great to learn new stuff. Indeed, the Historiques line is the one that really shows VC's expertise, finesse and long traditon in haute horologerie. It just doesn't get better than this. On the contrary to Dan, I only collect modern VCs ...
HI Radek....
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. It is indeed financially prohibitive to get a vintage triple date Cioccolatone, and the modern watch is a fantastic substitute. I think it is actually the same size as the vintage watch (which was huge in its day). I have...
Shaped movements are all that is missing...
from the Historiques line. The Aronde is just begging for a proper tonneau-shaped movement. There are so many designs pre-1950 that could come to life again as Historiques and benefit from this authentic touch.