Two of the more popular vintage-revival watches released last year were the Vacheron Constantin Historiques Triple Calendrier 1942 and 1948. The pieces, which now sit in boutiques alongside the critically-acclaimed Overseas collection, caught the attention of many publications early last October for their integration of the 1940s triple calendar design and Vacheron?s excellent contemporary manufacturing abilities. They also contributed to Vacheron?s growing Historiques collection which also includes the Cornes de Vache 1955 chronograph and the American 1921 watch.

These new watches are based on two different executions of the reference 4240 (vintage picture above, via Antiquorum). The Historique 1942 is based on the Vacheron Constantin reference 4240 released in the modern watch?s namesake year 1942, and the Historique 1948 is based on the 4240L (the added ?L? indicating the moon phase disk, picture below via Sotheby’s) which was released six years later after the first reference, naturally in 1948. The two original references were similar to one another, each utilizing many different dial features and case materials including both printed and applied numerals; dauphine and stick hands; many different colors and accents; and steel, yellow gold, and pink gold cases.
To first focus on the Historique Triple Calendrier 1942, the watch comes exclusively in steel at 40 mm, and features ?claw? style lugs, a triple gadroon case profile which gives the piece a stepped appear...