Earlier this year, to the delight of collectors and the press alike, Vacheron Constantin introduced a new crop of American 1921 watches during the 2021 Watches & Wonders fair. Vacheron has now gone one step further in its quest to revisit this historically important model by issuing the Vacheron Constantin American 1921 Pièce Unique, a single timepiece that serves as an exact replica of the original. Painstakingly recreated by Vacheron Constantin’s Restoration workshop and Heritage departments working hand-in-hand, the American 1921 Pièce Unique took more than a full year to produce. Vacheron Constantin had preserved watchmaking tools from as far back as the late 18th century, ensuring a sufficient supply of implements needed to craft the piece exactly how it was made in 1921. Despite this, some of the required tools also needed to be made for the recreation. As the process began, watchmakers disassembled an original 1921 timepiece from the Vacheron private collection. The brand stated that the “meticulous work of observation and comparison subsequently led watchmakers to make plans and mock-ups of the caliber, a particularly delicate task requiring extremely complex sizing calculations.”
31mm in diameter by 8.75mm thick, the Vacheron Constantin American 1921 Pièce Unique is small by modern standards (much like the original) and features a yellow gold case, a hand-wound caliber with 30 hours of power reserve, and a gorgeous grand feu enamel dial with the original Vacheron Constantin logo. Oriented with the crown and 12 o’clock marker at the upper lefthand corner of the case, the 1921 is particularly suited for use while driving, as it allows the time to be easily read with one’s hand situated on the steering wheel. Beautiful Breguet numerals and blued steel hands complement the elegant white dial, while a brown, hand-sewn calfskin leather strap finishes the entire package off. Before it makes it into the hands of the lucky buyer, the unique piece will travel to Vacheron Constantin boutiques across the globe. “The American 1921 will be in the spotlight throughout 2021,” according to the brand, and it should be.
In other exciting watch-related news, check out TUDOR’s Black Bay Ceramic ‘Master Chronometer’.
