Maltese lugs, and the easy door into Vacheron
By Julien Moreau, Geneva ·
The lugs are the thing. The Fiftysix takes its name and its shape from the ref. 6073 of 1956, and those lugs, flaring out in a shape borrowed from one branch of the Maltese cross, are the most distinctive detail of the collection and the reason to look twice.
The 2018 watch is 40 mm of steel, 9.6 mm thick, with a silver dial with a date, the calibre 1326 (48 hours) and an open back that shows a rotor cut in the shape of the Maltese cross. A leather strap, 30 m, and 21 mm lugs, which is an awkward number.
At twelve and a half to thirteen and a half thousand dollars, this is the most affordable way into Vacheron Constantin, and that is precisely the problem for some collectors. The movement is not of the same rank as the house's finest, and you can tell. But the design is good, the case is handsome and the name on the dial is one of the three that matter most in Geneva. For the young collector who wants to start at the top and work outward, I think it is an excellent first step. For the serious collector, the Patrimony is the real thing.