One of Our Favorite New Watches from Vacheron Constantin’s Fiftysix Collection Gets a Cool Blue New Look

Upshot: Vacheron Constantin is one of the “Big Three” of Swiss luxury watchmaking, along with Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet. At SIHH 2018, Vacheron made its first play for a younger watch-buying demographic with the Fiftysix Collection (including the Day Date, reviewed here), within which the base automatic model costs $11,700 — downright entry-level compared to the brand’s standard pricing. Two new watches from the Fiftysix collection, the Self-Winding and Complete Calendar, maintain the retro inspiration, but with a striking new Petrol blue dial.

Key Specs: Self-Winding
Price: $11,600
Availability: TBD
Movement: Vacheron Constantin calibre 1326
Winding: Automatic
Case Diameter: 40mm
Case Thickness: 9.6mm
Water Resistance: 30 meters
Unique Features: Petrol blue dial; date

Key Specs: Complete Calendar
Price: $22,800
Availability: TDB
Movement: 2460 QCL/1
Winding: Automatic
Case Diameter: 40mm
Case Thickness: 11.6mm
Water Resistance: 30 meters
Unique Features: Petrol blue dial; moon phase; day, date and month

Who It’s For: The aspiring watch collector who’s ready to graduate from four-figure watches to something from The Big Three, but who doesn’t quite have the bankroll for a full-fledged Vacheron Overseas Chronograph or AP Royal Oak, might find the Fiftysix Self-Winding fits the bill. On the other hand, the Complete Calendar offers the next step up, with a moonphase that’s accurate for 122 years, plus a 22K pink gold rotor that’s visible through the transparent case back.

First Take: The rich navy look of both watches adds a new dimension to the Fiftysix series, which previously was only available in a gray sunburst dial. The Self-Winding version simplifies the look of the Fiftysix Day Date, which has sub-dials for the day and date as well as a power reserve indicator, and also slims down the case to a little over 9mm — rectifying an issue we had with the Day Date’s wearability. The Complete Calendar matches the chunkiness of the Day Date at 11.6mm, but even with a moon phase indicator, its dial feels less busy than that of the Day Date, and this simplicity seems to pair better with the deep blue color.

Insight: It’s unclear how large the audience is who can spring for, say, a $10,000+ Rolex but can’t quite fund a watch from the highest tier of Swiss watchmaking. But by offering something cleaner and simpler than the Fiftysix Day Date in the form of the Self-Winding and by and taking things up a notch with a gorgeous Complete Calendar, Vacheron has tripled down on the space.