Vacheron Constantin Les Historiques Chronograph 47101, Platinum

Les Historiques

The Vacheron Constantin Ref. 47101 was introduced in 1989, as part of the brand’s Historiques collection - paying tribute to the Geneva watchmaker’s archives. The origins of the watch can be traced back to Vacheron’s iconic reference 4178, from the 1940s - with its tachymeter scale and placement of the subsidiary dials - considered by many to be one of the most beautifully refined chronographs ever made.

The watch displays a finely-grained, silvered dial with applied Arabic and baton numerals. The two sub-dials, at three and nine o'clock are the thirty-minute and sub-seconds registers, respectively, with engine-turned patterning at the centre. The dial is classically understated, balancing the outer five-minute divisions and tachymetre scale perfectly. The watch displays five hands - hours, minutes, and seconds for the time, with seconds and minute hands for the chronograph.

Overall, the dial layout is cleanly designed, with the chronograph highly legible in a variety of lighting conditions. With its 36 mm case diameter, the size of the 47101 is classically inspired - featuring down-turned, angular lugs and a polished, chamfered bezel. The snap-on, display case-back, features the Maltese cross and manufacturer's hallmarks, along with its unique reference numbers.

The Movement

The reference 47101 integrates Vacheron’s 21-jewel, manual-winding, 1140 caliber, based upon a thoroughly re-worked ‘Nouvelle Lemania’ 2310 ebauche - much like the Patek Philippe Ref. 5070. The movement is beautifully finished, with exquisite chamfering on all angles, polishing and decoration, in the form of Geneva striping. The movement uses a straight-line lever escapement, a monometallic balance adjusted to 5 positions, self-compensating Breguet spring and swan-neck micrometer regulator.

The Set

This Vacheron Les Historiques Chronograph is accompanied by an Extract from the Archives of Vacheron Constantin, confirming the year of manufacture as 1994.

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Closer look