The Vacheron Constantin 222 In Steel Is Here (And It's Glorious)

I remember when Vacheron Constantin released the Les Historiques 222 at Watches & Wonders 2022. It was quite literally, and without hyperbole, the single most talked about watch at the show that year. The revival was a solid-gold integrated-bracelet sports watch that went from a somewhat obscure cult classic to a breakout mainstream status watch seen on Brad Pitt, Michael B. Jordan, and Chris Paul. Once the initial excitement subsided and everyone got their wrist shots to post on Instagram, the obvious next question posed by industry insiders was, “When do we see a steel model revival?”

Well, that question got answered today with the release of the new Vacheron Constantin Historiques 222 Ref. 4200H/222A-B934, a watch that benefits from contemporary watchmaking techniques while looking like it could be straight out of the ‘70s. Done in a stainless-steel case and bracelet, with a subtle matte-blue dial, this new 222 revival is one of the most lust-worthy releases of 2025 less than two weeks into January. A damn-near perfect contemporary take on the vintage 222 ‘Jumbo’ in 37mm- wide case, the new steel model shares the same basics as the gold iteration from 2022. Other than the obvious use of steel for the case and bracelet and the blue dial, you’ll notice that iconic Maltese cross on the case is done in an excellently contrasted 18k yellow gold here as opposed to white gold.

For a little history and background, the 222 was released in 1977 and is something of a precursor to the Overseas. I’ve heard a few people incorrectly attribute the 222 to Gérald Genta but it was actually the work of fellow prolific designer Jörg Hysek. The 222 came on the heels of the Royal Oak (1971) and Nautilus (1976) and the 1977 launch coincided with the brand’s 222nd anniversary, hence the name. Like the Royal Oak and Nautilus, the  222 is special because that same basic design is just as appealing half a century later. The tonneau-shaped case with scalloped bezel and the inlaid Maltese cross on the bottom right corner of the case matched with that stunning Gay Frères-designed bracelet just works so well.

The new Historiques 222 sticks to what made the original great while slightly tweaking (and indeed improving) on some details. On the dial, the hands and indices are a little bigger and more legible and the date window is moved ever so slightly to the left so it no longer cuts into the minutes track. The bracelet looks nearly identical to the original with those hexagonal center links but it’s a bit more form-fitting and flexible than the old one. The case and bezel have a bit more refinement, with touches like additional polished bevels and surfaces that you really need to look for to even spot. Speaking of case finishes, the alternating brushed and polished finishes and beveling add so much richness and textural variety when observed up close. It just feels like so much care and love went into what, at a passing glance, is a very simple sports watch.

One big change from the original comes with the movement. The original had the old LeCoultre 920-based Caliber 1120 movement that was hidden behind the enclosed caseback. The revival is outfitted with the modern in-house Caliber 2455 that is visible through an exhibition caseback and operates at 4 Hz with a 40-hour power reserve. I have to admit that I am in the small minority that would have liked to see that legendary 1120 back in action but I understand the logistical difficulties that go along with that. So while it’s not precisely “authentic,”  it’s hard to argue that the movement isn’t a more durable stunner with that frosted yellow-gold rotor.

I love that the case size remains the same, at 37mm wide, and even though the 7.95mm thickness is almost 1mm thicker than the original’s 7.2mm, the case is so slim it’s hard to even notice. One gripe is that the water resistance is now 50 meters while the old monobloc 222 achieved 120 meters. The bracelet is so comfortable on the wrist and is clearly superior to the original in construction. One obvious giveaway for this is how tight the links are due to superior tolerances achieved by contemporary manufacturing techniques.

The Vacheron Constantin 222 is likely the most obscure of its historic integrated- bracelet sports watch peers. The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak and Patek Philippe Nautilus (not to mention its Vacheron sibling the Overseas) are ubiquitous to the point of being a little too mainstream for a lot of collectors. Sure, there are plenty of competitors in 2025, ranging from indies like the H. Moser & Cie Streamliner or Parmigiani Tonda PF to Richemont siblings like the A. Lange & Söhne Odysseus and the as-of-now exclusively solid-gold Piaget Polo 79.

Even with this competitive landscape, the Vacheron Constantin 222 has something special going for it: sheer rarity. Only about 800 222 ’Jumbo’ models were produced between 1977 and 1984. Even if you add the 1,300 of the smaller 24mm quartz ladies model and 1,000 of the 34mm mid-size that were produced, we are looking at no more than 3,100 total. For comparison, there were 6,050 Royal Oak 5402 watches produced with 4,288 of these being the steel 5402ST (of which 1,937 were Series A versions). Of course, this is just the first-edition run of the Royal Oak and there have been no less than 500 variations of the watch released since the original debuted in 1972. As for the Nautilus ‘Jumbo’ 3700, there were about just about 7,200 pieces produced in total between 1976 and 1990. As with the Royal Oak Ref. 5402, the Nautilus Ref. 3700 is just the debut model not counting references like the 3800 and, of course, the 5711. My point here is to underline just how truly rare the 222 is. Many of you have seen a Royal Oak or a Nautilus but how many of you have seen a 222? The answer is likely a very small fraction.

Of course, like with any “hype watch” the new Vacheron Constantin Historiques 222 is going to be very hard to get. And if you are one of the lucky few to get “the call” from Vacheron, the price of $32,000 should be well worth it. You can learn more at vacheron-constantin.com