SIHH in a vintage mood

Seneca, in his infinite wisdom, reflected that “time is but a present. Whoever forgets the past cannot understand the future.” Watch brands appear to have taken the Roman philosopher’s words to heart, seemingly convinced that the only way to plan for the future is to take a long and careful look at the past, as visitors to the recent Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie could observe. Best know where you’re treading on markets that have yet to regain their full strength – which in this instance often means a resurgence of past styles. This is especially true when launching a new collection. Tellingly, the two (and only two) men’s collections making their debut at SIHH each takes its cue from icons of the past, namely a 1968 Polaris for Jaeger-LeCoultre and reference 6073 from 1956 for Vacheron Constantin. Both tap into the vintage trend that has been all the rage these past two years, and is widely considered an excellent entry-point into the prestige watch world.

First steps

Vacheron Constantin concurs when it declares that “a new chapter in its history” is beginning with the Fiftysix® collection. Building on a Vacheron Constantin watch from 1956, it “represents an important new step as this original line instils a modern momentum capable of opening up the world of Fine Watchmaking to every enthusiast.” It’s no coincidence that the Geneva-based firm should have picked this reference 6073 out of its archives. This was, after all, one of the very first Vacheron Constantin watches to be equipped with an automatic movement – the P1019, supplied at the time by Jaeger-LeCoultre –, housed inside a watertight case, another rarity for a mid-century timepiece. This “neo-contemporary” collection starts out with three versions: an automatic (with Cartier’s 1904 MC calibre as its base), a day of the week, date and power reserve (Vacheron Constantin 2475 SC/2 calibre) and a complete calendar with precision moon phase (Vacheron Constantin 2460 QLC/1 calibre). The design codes of the original 1956 model are present and correct, starting with references to the Maltese cross and extending into the box-type crystal, the sector dials and the automatic movement. In keeping with the zeitgeist, this is the first time in its history that Vacheron Constantin presents a collection in steel as well as gold, thus paving the way towards the “ivory towers” of Fine Watchmaking.

Jaeger-LeCoultre thinks along similar lines with the new Polaris range, declaring that “the collection channels the best of the Grande Maison’s watchmaking tradition and its attention to detail, while creating a contemporary sporty yet elegant timepiece with a vintage touch.” It revives the spirit of the iconic Memovox Polaris, the very first automatic dive watch to come equipped with an alarm. Between 1965 and 1970, 1,714 pieces were made. Jaeger-LeCoultre named its watch after the American missile, considered a symbol of strength and solidity. The Le Sentier-based manufacturer had already released two Tribute to Polaris 1965 and 1968 watches, each a limited edition, in 2008. Ten years on, the new collection comprises a three-hand automatic (Jaeger-LeCoultre 898/1 calibre), a chronograph (Jaeger-LeCoultre 751 calibre) and a world time chronograph (Jaeger-LeCoultre 752 calibre), together with a Polaris Date (Jaeger-LeCoultre 899/1 calibre) and a Polaris Memovox (Jaeger-LeCoultre 956 calibre) with the original alarm function.

Naturally, these aren’t the only two manufacturers in revival mode. Vintage also takes the honours at Montblanc with its 1858 range, at Girard-Perregaux with the Laureato, and at Cartier with the Santos. Had Seneca not been a philosopher, he would have been an excellent watchmaker!