There was already excitement surrounding the Vacheron Constantin Historiques 222 when it was released in solid yellow gold in 2022, but it was Brad Pitt who truly kicked it into full-blown hysteria. When he was photographed at Wimbledon the following year, casually wearing what turned out to be a vintage white-gold version, the watch world collectively began to froth at the mouth. Would Vacheron release another version of the 1977 cult classic, originally designed by Jörg Hysek, in stainless steel? After all, white gold and stainless steel do look similar at a glance, so it didn’t seem like a stretch. Sure enough, it wasn’t.
Brad Pitt wearing a vintage Vacheron Constantin Historiques 222 at Wimbledon.
The return of the 222 in steel scratches that two-year itch. Like the white-gold version, it has a 37mm diameter and is 7.95mm thick, giving it a slim, IYKYK subtlety that disappears under a cuff. The spartan matte-blue dial with date-window and applied white-gold indices is all business, with very little added in the way of flourish. Though it shares the same specs and automatic movement as its louder yellow-gold sister, this steel version brings the 222 collection into sotto voce. Originally released to celebrate Vacheron’s 222nd anniversary at the height of the disco era, the 222 was advertised as «the contemporary of Vacheron Constantin.»
A sketch of the new version of the watch during production.
The all-metal integrated-bracelet craze was in full swing after the release of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak and Patek Philippe Nautilus in the preceding years. The 222’s angular 37mm-diameter case, dynamic lines, and octagonal bezel helped define an aesthetic that, in the past decade, has come back in vogue à outrance. That’s why this watch—like the 2005 Pitt vehicle Mr. and Mrs. Smith—was a hit before it was even released.
Charles Curkin is ELLE Decor’s Articles Editor, covering everything related to luxury watches, design, and travel, and has previously written for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Paris Review.
