Vacheron Constantin Adds A New Brown to the Fiftysix

Two years ago, when Vacheron Constantin introduced the new Fiftysix line to us, we found ourselves impressed by how the brand had taken a vintage icon, the reference 6073 from 1956, and made it a contemporary hit. The angular, almost Brutalist 6073 was transformed into a well-proportioned modern timepiece, with angled but softly rounded lugs inspired by the Maltese cross, a slim bezel and extruding crystal that all hinted at its historic origins but finessed for the modern day.

The Fiftysix today is one of Vacheron Constantin’s best-sellers, and a product line through which it’s able to reach out to younger and new audiences, as the collection is offered both in steel and gold references, along with the choice of complications and designs that make it appealing to younger collectors.

Since its launch, the brand has released new models to add to the Fiftysix. Towards the later part of 2018 it introduced a high complication, the Fiftysix Tourbillon. This year, it’s adding two new models in gold, with a milk chocolate toned dial that it’s calling sepia. (While most of us know the term as a color treatment for photography, it’s in fact a brown pigment that’s extracted from cuttlefish.)

The two models in mention are the Fiftysix Self-Winding and the Fiftysix Complete Calendar. Both are sized at 40mm, housed in 18K pink gold and features the same memorable details as its siblings: luminous markers and Arabic numerals on the sector dial, with a white inner minute track as well as on the circumference of the dial.

Where it differs from the other gold models is in the dial. Where the previous gold references had alternating white and silver dials as well as surface finishes for differing sectors, the sepia dials of this year are of the same tone, varying slightly in color, from a dark brown with snailing on the outermost ring to a sunray brushed midtone chocolate in the hour ring, and a lighter opaline finish in the center of the dial. They also come in a calfskin leather straps, giving it a trendy, youthful feel.

The complete calendar model has two apertures for the day and month, along with a central date hand and moonphase indication at 6 o’clock which is accurate to a day in 122 years. Since it’s an annual calendar, you’ll need to adjust for the leap month of February every year, but that’s easily done. Correctors are embedded on the sides of the case for easy access.

All in all, these are great additions to the Fiftysix, and they will be exclusively available through Vacheron Constantin boutiques when lockdowns finally end across the world, something for us to look forward to.

Fiftysix Self-Winding

Fiftysix Complete Calendar