Vacheron Constantin Toledo 1952: Blast From the Past (VIDEO BLOG)

The Vacheron Constantin Toledo 1952 is the Geneva maison’s love letter to its diehard collectors. Cast in the image of the famed 1950’s Ciccolatone rounded rectangle case, the Toledo 1952 adds a triple calendar and moon phase complication to the equation.

Put it all together, and the result is the Vacheron Constantin Toledo 1952. It’s a larger, more contemporary rendition of the mid-century original. With a height of 41mm lug-to-lug, this one wears like a 42mm round watch.

Vacheron Constantin is a master of style, and details on the case and dial are exquisite. Vacheron breaks up the mass of the 18-karat yellow gold “carree galbe” case with a series of fluted character lines that add visual breaks and definition. Flares at the lug shoulders impart a sinuous “Coke bottle” pinch to the overhead impression. On the wrist, the watch exhibits a pronounced camber from lug-to-lug.

Vacheron’s dial is a celebration of the Jaeger-LeCoultre caliber within. JLC movements in Vacheron cases is a storied tradition that dates to the early 20th century. There’s real history in this link, and the historic arcs of these two haute horlogerie specialists reads like the rap sheets of partners in crime. From their early collaboration on ultra-thin calibers to their shared U.S. importation under Longines-Wittnauer to their mutual residence under today Richemont luxury umbrella, JLC and Vacheron have been inseparable.

This is the way Swiss watchmaking worked in the heyday of luxury etablissage; each brings to the table what each does best. JLC provides the heart, and Vacheron adds the soul.

With a triple calendar display and clear indications of time, this is an eminently practical luxury companion. A calendar is the ultimate everyday complication, and Vacheron’s is poetically rendered. Note the multiple levels of the displays; consider the contrast between the excavated date track and the flat plane of the hour track. Admire the juxtaposition of the feminine semicircle moonphase aperture against the masculine rectilinear order of the day/date windows.

Now consider all of the above against the flowing amorphous mass of the carree galbe case, and the depth of the Toledo 1952’s complexity begins to dawn. This Vacheron Constantin Toledo is a varsity-level connoisseur’s piece for a real aficionado of high horology.

See this Vacheron Constantin Toledo 1952 triple calendar watch in high-resolution images on our website, www.watchuwant.com, with extensive Vacheron Constantin factory accessories.