Vacheron Constantin Patrimony Contemporaine Overview

WHL's post from 2012 highlights the Vacheron Constantin Patrimony Contemporaine collection, emphasizing its success and versatility across various complications. His personal experience with the 81180 underscores its wearability, making a compelling case for its enduring appeal to collectors. This discussion provides valuable context for understanding the collection's place in Vacheron Constantin's modern offerings.

The Patrimony Contemporaine collection is probably the most successful collection of watches in current production at Vacheron Constantin. The manual winding reference 81180 and self winding with date reference 85180 are classic designs with a contemporary size, and judging by my own experience with the 81180, a true pleasure to wear on a daily basis.

The line has also successfully taken on complications with the Retrograding Day and Date

and, introduced only at SIHH 2011 and barely on the street, the Perpetual Calendar

and Patrimony Contemporaine Excellence Platine:

All those watches are 40 mm in diameter or larger. With women becoming more interested in wearing mechanical watches, Vacheron Constantin brought out a 36 mm Patrimony Contemporaine "Small Model” late last year:

In either rose gold or white gold, the top edge of the case is ringed with 62 diamonds:

The response to this watch from this community of collectors was “why not get rid of the diamonds and market it to men!”

These are all very successful watches, but there was one model in the Patrimony Contemporaine family that never quite found its legs, the self-winding reference 86180, which is just like the 85180 but for eschewing the date function.

The 85180 was announced in late 2006. There is no formal press release for the 86180, and I can’t find photos of it from any SIHH report, but it was available from 2007 through 2009 before it quietly disappeared from the catalog.

The movement is just like in the date model 85180: the calibre 2460. This movement has earned the Geneva Hallmark and is finished with all the trademark touches that make a Vacheron Constantin movement so special.

While the date function is of utility to most watch wearers, I appreciate the clean dial that this watch offers, just like on the manual winding 81180. To me it recalls the early date-less three-hand designs that Vacheron Constantin produced in the 1950’s and 1960’s that I adore. As with many of those vintage designs, and in concert with the other Patrimony Contemporaine watches, the dial curves down towards the edge, with the hands bending down to follow the curvature of the dial.

In an of itself this is a beautiful and desirable watch, but I think it got crowded out of the marketplace, being sandwiched between the 81180 and 85180, with most buyers opting to pay a small premium for having the date window at 6 o’clock with the 85180. I would not be among them.

So if you just have to have a brand new three hand automatic movement from Vacheron Constantin there is but one choice remaining, the Chronometer Royal 1907.

Bill Lind

VC Forum Moderator