Vacheron Constantin 44018 'Jumbo 222'

Move over Nautilus and Royal Oak, Vacheron’s vintage 222 is the discerning collector’s luxury sports watch.

The story of the 222 goes back to the 1970s. At the time, the Swiss watch industry experienced important changes, among which the introduction of an entirely new category of watches: the stainless steel luxury sports watch with integrated bracelets. The Gerald Genta designed Audemars Piguet Royal Oak that was released in 1972 was the progenitor of them all. Patek and IWC followed in 1976 with the Nautilus and the Ingenieur SL, both designed by Genta as well. Vacheron Constantin followed suit in 1977 with the introduction of the ‘222’ to celebrate the company’s 222nd birthday.

Unlike the earlier three brands, Vacheron Constantin did not turn to Gerald Genta but opted to enlist Jörg Hysek, an upcoming designer, to envision a new watch. Hysek employed the same basic design language found in Genta’s creations: an ultra-thin cushion shaped case with broad shoulders and an integrated flat-link bracelet with large geometric center links. The distinctive serrated screw-down bezel and stamped Maltese cross on the lower-right corner of the case, however, clearly set the design apart from its Genta-designed forebears.

The 222 was produced for just seven years and came out in three sizes: this ‘Jumbo’ version -in 37 mm- being the most coveted. The production numbers were divided among steel, two-tone, yellow & white gold executions, totalling up to 700 pieces. Only 100 have been made in 18K Yellow gold and in this metal the contrasting anthracite dial is the most sought-after.

The 222 is powered by the ultra-thin caliber 1121 automatic movement, itself based on Jaeger-LeCoultre’s legendary caliber 920 that can also be found in the original Nautilus and Royal Oak references.

This "Jumbo" variant dates back to the early 1980s and is in excellent condition with sharp lines and a tight 18k yellow gold bracelet. The dial has a spotless matte-finished surface and features applied channeled baton indices filled with the original tritium still intact. Just like the lume in the hands it turned to a pleasing cream tone.

This historically important model surely experienced a surge of renewed interest due to the 2022 reboot. But only true connoisseurs will choose the real vintage one, like Brad Pitt. This is your chance to get your hands on an original specimen in exemplary condition!