Vacheron Constantin gives its Fiftysix collection contemporary polish

JUST because a watch is rooted in the past doesn’t mean it needs to look stuck in it.

That was the ethos Vacheron Constantin embraced when it first unveiled the Fiftysix collection in 2018. While its refined silhouette carried unmistakable mid-century cues, contemporary proportions and finishes have ensured that it feels modern, rather than purely nostalgic.

Eight years later, the Swiss manufacture is introducing a fresh aesthetic evolution for two of its key models: the Fiftysix Self-Winding and the Fiftysix Complete Calendar, both housed in 40 mm stainless-steel cases.

The collection takes its name from 1956, the year Vacheron Constantin launched Reference 6073 – a mid-century dress watch distinguished by its round case, box-style crystal and lugs inspired by the Maison’s Maltese cross emblem. It was also among the manufacture’s first timepieces to feature a self-winding movement.

Rather than producing a 1:1 reissue, the Fiftysix translates those historic design codes into an everyday luxury timepiece. The latest iteration builds on this foundation, most notably through redesigned, more graphic sector-style dials.

Both models feature double-gradient grey dials pairing opaline centres with sunburst chapter rings and snailed peripheral scales.

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The Self-Winding places a lighter grey centre against a darker outer chapter ring, while the Complete Calendar reverses the tonality with a darker centre and lighter outer zone. This tonal interplay lends pronounced visual depth while preserving the understated balance of its vintage precursor.

The stainless-steel cases have also been refined. The flanks and distinctive bevelled lugs feature vertical brushing contrasted by polished bevels, bezels, crowns and pushers. Completing the redesign are anthracite nubuck calfskin leather straps with ecru stitching and stainless-steel folding clasps.

For Christian Selmoni, Vacheron Constantin’s style and heritage director, these updates illustrate how history should guide design without restricting it.

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“In the 1950s, watches were smaller and Reference 6073 was no exception, with its 35 mm diameter. It is not Vacheron Constantin’s mission to reproduce the past identically, to reproduce what has already been done,” he says.

“In this respect, the Fiftysix collection can be defined as modern with a retro touch.”

Style and substance

Beyond aesthetics, the two references showcase the collection’s mechanical versatility.

The Fiftysix Self-Winding is powered by Calibre 1326, driving hours, minutes, central seconds and a stop-seconds date display. It has a 48-hour power reserve.

The Fiftysix Complete Calendar houses the manufacture’s Calibre 2460 QCL/1, displaying the day, month and date through a central pointer hand, and an astronomical moon phase requiring adjustment only once every 122 years.

Comprising 308 components, the 4 Hz movement delivers a 40-hour power reserve and bears the prestigious Hallmark of Geneva.

Both movements are visible through sapphire casebacks and feature the collection’s signature open-worked 22-carat pink gold rotor adorned with a Maltese cross.

Rather than a static reissue, the update signals an ongoing design dialogue. As Selmoni says, the evolution stays true to the manufacture’s founding motto, which is “Do better if possible, and that is always possible”.

He says: “It is not just an exhortation to push the boundaries of technical excellence; it is also an invitation to creativity – to think differently, look at things in new ways, embrace change and safeguard our traditions without remaining static.