The 1950s were characterised by the creation of outstanding watchmaking calibres whose slenderness matched the beauty of their construction. Vacheron Constantin’s ultra-thin manual-winding 1001 and 1003 movements belong to this category. Back in the day, they powered References 6179 and 6187 which hold a special place in the history of the Maison. Calibre 1001 measuring barely 2.94 mm thick features a specific construction with five arabesque bridges. This Hallmark of Geneva-certified movement found its place in the category of chronometer-quality calibres thanks to its precision regulator. It foreshadowed Calibre 1003 launched in 1955 to mark the Manufacture’s bicentenary, the world’s thinnest movement —1.64 mm thick— at the time and still regarded as one of the highest-quality manual-winding models ever produced.
Inspired by these creations, Vacheron Constantin launched the Patrimony collection in 2004: stemming from classic traditional watchmaking, it is distinguished by understated design and a rare aura of elegance. During the 20 years following the launch of this now emblematic collection, Patrimony models have never deviated from these principles, typified by a round case with a slim bezel as well as a refined, domed dial with slender, curved applied hour-markers, curved baton-type hands and ‘pearl’ minutes track.
According to French designer Ora ïto:
“A good design wasn’t created to be disposed of after a period of usage, it is designed around essentials to make it eternal.”
The aesthetic worlds of Patrimony and Ora Ïto were made to meet and mingle. The face of the collection since 2019 as part of the “One of Not Many” campaign, the French designer is a longtime admirer of the Patrimony collection, a horological embodiment of his “Simplexity” concept.
A neologism combining two seemingly contradictory notions: simplicity and complexity, Simplexity is the art of proposing a simple response to a complex problem, of giving a simple appearance to an object involving invisible complexity. From architecture to furniture, fragrances, phones and public transport, Ora ïto is known for perpetual reinvention and for focusing resolutely on essentials —perfectly illustrated in the Patrimony self-winding watch.