It?s been 55 years since Vacheron Constantin celebrated their 222nd anniversary in 1977 with the introduction of the 222 integrated steel sports watch designed by Jörg Hysek. Coming a year after the Nautilus, and a handful after the Royal Oak, the 222 is often referenced in the same discussion as those Genta icons, but its lore hadn?t quite reached the same levels with the mainstream until recent years. This was the under-the-radar high-end sports watch of the ?70s. The watch had a short production run of 7 years, and in total, fewer than 1,000 examples made it to market. That changes this year with the introduction of a new 222 within the Vacheron Constantin Historiques collection. 

The return of the 222 comes in a single flavor, gold. This of course mirrors the original, which was built in full gold, full steel, and two-toned variants. The watch retains its slim dimensions measuring 37mm in diameter, and just 7.95mm in thickness. The integrated bracelet design, including the Maltese cross at the bottom right, remain untouched. The look is certainly relevant today, and in the midst of a renaissance of high end sports watches the 222 still manages to stand apart by relying on the strength of Hysek?s original design.
Like the Royal Oak and Nautilus, the 222 originally made use of JLC 920 based caliber 1121 allowing for the svelte dimensions. The newest 222 moves to the equally thin, but decidedly more modern 2455/2 automatic movement. The movement, along with it...