Vacheron Constantin

Has anyone noticed that the retail price of two of most most interesting Vacheron Constantin watches to be seen in years is only two hundred dollars apart? I am talking about the American 1921 and the Quai de l'Ile Self Winding in titanium:

 

 

 

Other than sharing the cushion case shape they couldn't be more different. It begs the question, "Which would you choose if you could only have one? And why?"

 

Bill

This message has been edited by WHL on 2009-11-11 13:27:46

Hi, Bill,

I would definitely choose the American.

Why? I am a huge fan of rose gold (eventhough I am yet to own a watch in that metal), the model has an important place in the history of VC, new in-house caliber, casual and relaxed, yet elegant and formal in appearance, unique design, and finally, I find it sexy and with a lot of character.

Now, I appreciate the bespoke approach taken with the Quai de l'Ile, but too me it is just too somber with lots of things going on, making it stand out for the wrong reasons.

Just my humble opinion...

Thanks for the wonderful pic of the American....sigh, one more to add to the dream list...

All the best,

Alejandro

I LOVE IT!  The QDI -- not so much.

The 1921 is classic, elegent, eccentiric.  So many reasons to admire this watch.  It is on my top three list.

respo

Which others round out the top three? I too love the 1921 and prefer it over the Quai de l'Ile.

m

The other two are quite different from the 1921, both big chunky divers, one from JLC  and one from Blancpain. 

Let's hope there will be enough 1921s to go around.

Cheers,

respo

. . . on account of it's shrewd blending of classicism and eccentricity. It's at once quaint and modern. It has, for lack of a better word, character. If I were buying my last watch today, this would be one of a handful that I'd consider . . . cordially, Art

...and very nicely said.

respo

The 1921 is a pure VC, to me, while the QDI is still disturbing me with its " between two lines " design...

But this is my personal take, maybe a bit too conservative.

Best,

Nicolas

American - Simple and elegant even though I am not big on rose gold.

QDI - What's that? Complicated and unattractive.

as well, if I have only two choices.

QDL - offers lots of nice details, but (for me) too many in one watch. Some details look "cheap". Loved it when the details have been introduced, step by step. Changed my mind immediately when I saw it in the metal. Bespoke - well I would call it Semi-Bespoke, to be honest.

By the way Patrimony Traditionelle with cal. 4400 is very nice and a "bargain" compared to the American 1921, isn´t it?

Cheers
Oliver

The Patrimony Traditionelle (cal. 4400) is a relative bargain, and that is the one disturbing thing about the 1921 -- but the 1921 is special enough to make me consider paying the premium.  It does make one pause to wonder what the difference between the two watches is to justify such a large gap in  pricing...

respo

it is miles and miles more pretty
and more genuine Vacheron that this
IMO strange "experiment" called Quai
Best
Damian
This message has been edited by Ares501 on 2009-11-12 06:32:47

"les Montres" in paris and see the 1921 in real.

Wonderfull and incredible on wrist. Some pics with my mobile phone. Sorry for the quality, but the emotion was real .

I like it   ++++ and put it on my shopping list for 2010.

Thanks to Vacheron Constantin and Joséphine for her welcome.

Cheers,

Patrickh

Does reading the time on this dial seem natural given the angles of the main dial and the subdial?

respo

more even though the Ameican 1921 is on my wish list ( I already have a QDI )

It's the first and only VC I would love to own. I particularly like it modern look and the bespoke case.

but my choice would first be for the Quai de l'Ile, though a lot of my reasoning has to do with the context of my collecting. Having ownership experience with so many interesting and historical watches from VC, the QDI feels like a mold-breaker. I am attracted to its freshness and novelty.

I suspect that had I not had the history with the brand and its watches that I have, I, like most here, would choose the 1921.


Bill

my tastes these days run toward the 'cool' or casual (ish) or sport (ish) watches... while I might choose the 21 in a battle for 'eternity' and perennial beauty, I still would go with the QDL, because it is so very very cool, so brave, so unique, and yet still has the bloodline of VC. If I were buying dress watches at this time, the 21 would win hands down.

Head to head, if I could only wear one watch for the rest of my days and it was between these two...............???

Probably the 21. It has such class, yet is so unusual. And oozes the bloodline.

 

Until i saw the launch of the new Limited edition QDI in tantalum and palladium... I have ordered it and am waiting 

  

and then got a chance to see the american 1921..

 

 

And i fell in love with it as well..

 

I've never owned a VC, but since i wasnt brave enough to ask everyone here which one they would prefer and why, i have ordered BOTH

 

The thought about a dressy and casual watch always comes into mind, and i needed both, my AD has told me that both watches should arrive to me in the next 1 month.. if you have the time to wait, will be posting wrist shots...

I love youre style, my friend.

I didn't know which one to take, so, I took both!

Excellent.

Congrats for your additions!

Best,

Nicolas

I'll also be looking forward to seeing wrist shots of both -- congratulations in advance!

Best,

Gary G

Wonderfull Christmas.

Happy to discover later your wristshots.

Cheers,

patrickh

of your ownership impressions once you have had a chance to wear each for a while.  Ordering both is certainly one way to make up for lost time, as you have not owned a VC before.  I think your idea of one for dress and one for casual is a great way to look at them. 

While I have tried both on, if I could only have one, it would definitely be the 1921.  I love rose gold, and its case and dial just call to me.   Its a dress watch I could see myself getting at somepoint and it would be a keeper.  The Q'dI, is nice, a bit too austere for my tastes but it certainly is a break from VC's very traditional pieces.  Good luck with both.

Best regards,

Dino

and your solution to getting both a dressy and a casual watch. I think they make a great pair of VC's and I would be very happy were they the only two VC's in my collection.

I just heard that the ONLY 100 series of Quai de l'Ile will be begin entering the retail channels in December.

Bill

I have been enthusiastic about the 1921 several times on this board already. I continue to be very attached to mine, and, while I don't keep track of such things ( in the hope of avoiding the room where mattresses replace wallpaper) I suspect my 1921 continues to get more wrist time than anything else I own. That said, I think that a side inquiry is perhaps of interest. While the price similarity makes 1921 vs. QDL(titanium)  the "level playing field" question, the decision would be a much closer one for me were it 1921 vs. QDL(gold). To my taste, the contrast between the modern aspects of the QDL design and the more traditional gold case highlights what is special about the watch better than the titanium version. I would still have no problem choosing the 1921, but I would feel a lot worse leaving the gold QDL behind.

the 1921 is a great watch..... I would choose the QDI...

A very unique watch.....

However, I think that it is not a fair comparison as they are both very different watches-
the only similarity is the case which are probably designed by the same person......

having said that, the 1921 is a dress watch, while the QDI can be both dress or sporty-
a more fair comparison would have been the rg version of the QDI but then there is a price difference.....

Again I would choose the QDI- truly a unique design....

Cheers

....that is unfair to compare the two watches, but they were both the big new launches by VC in the last year or so, right? So, it is natural for us to compare them, I think.  For me, if we change the metal of the QDL to gold, it makes no difference, other than to push me even closer to the 1921 given the then very large price differential.  The 1921 to me is as unique if not more so than the QDL.  It looks like no other current watch I know of, especially with the tilt of the dial and the position of the crown.  Oh, well that is why they make so many different and beautiful watches. 

Best,

respo