There has been a trend in recent years of brands revitalising legendary watches and turning them into modern editions. Watch brands, more than any other, like to keep us reminded of how old they are and the history that goes alongside the piece you just bought. For example, it’s hard to mention the word Omega without talking about the moon. These brands with a rich history have a substantial back catalogue to choose from and bringing back an icon often gets chins wagging within the community.
When it comes to paying homage to the watches from your past brands approach it slightly differently. Some look to recreate the icon in its true form, why mess with a classic? Others prefer to take design queues in a nod to history whilst updating the watch to modern standards. The point is there are different ways to approach reintroducing a legendary watch. We’ve selected 5 true legends to see how their modern counterparts stack up.
Vacheron Constantin 222
Vacheron Constantin 222 Ref. 11990 (1977)
The original Vacheron Constantin 222, released in 1977, surfaced around the same time as Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet launched their icons with the Nautilus (1976) and Royal Oak (1971). If you want to know where the 222 came from, it was to mark the 222nd year of Vacheron’s founding. I told you watch brands like to remind us of their history.
Much like the Nautilus and Royal Oak of the 1970s the 222 was a three hand watch with a date window. However, this wasn’t the only similarity. Fun fact but the original Nautilus, Royal Oak and 222 all shared the same base movement, an ultra-thin Jaeger-LeCoultre 920, which Vacheron modified.
One of the reasons the original 222 has become so desirable today is its exclusivity. If records are to be believed, only around 700 222’s in 37mm were produced in the eight years it was in production. It was also the first sports watch from Vacheron and led on to the now iconic Overseas, which only adds to its historical importance.
Vacheron Constantin 222 line up displayed in an advert (1960s)
In a fitting piece of numerical symmetry in 2022 Vacheron introduced a new 222 Historique edition. The first surprise was Vacheron released the new 222 in solid yellow gold at a time when steel sports watches were flying off the shelves quicker than they could be made.
This updated version is a true recreation, Vacheron have stuck almost wholeheartedly to the original design. They resisted the temptation to increase the case size, nowadays 40mm would be about par for the course. On the dial you have to look very closely to spot any changes at all. The only difference of note is the position of the date window, on the modern version it’s been moved inwards to allow the minute markers to continue uninterrupted. Whereas, the original date window intercepted the minute track. In all, this change constitutes moving the date window somewhere around 1mm
The updated Vacheron Constantin Historiques 222 ref. 4200H/222J-B935
The big change in the 222 is the movement. Vacheron Constaintin have shunned the legendary watch’s JLC core in favour of a more modern Vacheron calibre 2455/2. Paired with the new movement is an open case back displaying the 18k yellow gold rotor. After 45 years Vacheron might be forgiven for providing an updated movement with modern manufacturing, materials and reliability.
IWC Ingenieur Automatic 40
IWC Ingenieur SL ref. 1832 (1976)
Our second legendary vintage watch comes courtesy of Gerald Genta’s 1976 design IWC Ingenieur SL. Being a Genta design it noticeably shares many elements with the Nautilus and Royal Oak. Despite the Ingenieur SL being overshadowed by these other creations over time it became seen as the trendy little brother, offering collectors a more affordable price point for a watch from the legendary designer.
On release the Ingenieur SL was vastly different from the first Ingenieur of the 1950s. Not only did the SL introduce bolt holes to the bezel but the most interesting part of the design was the appearance of either a checkerboard or graph paper style textured dial. Housed in a 38mm case the original Ingenieur SL would likely have been quite the hit in today’s market.
The updated IWC Ingenieur Automatic 40 ref. IW328901
By 1984 the first generation Genta designed Ingenieur was discontinued. Then, in March 2023, at Watches & Wonders, IWC released the Ingenieur Automatic 40. At its launch IWC revealed their museum had managed to track down Gerald Genta’s original drawings. Drawings which were thought to have been lost. Now armed with the originals the IWC design team could set to work recreating a modern sports watch inspired by the original workings.
Today’s Ingenieur is without question a modern interpretation, not a recreation. Firstly, you’ll notice crown guards on the 2023 model, which were not present on the original legendary watch. This adds to another key change which is the case size, the new model comes in 40mm only. If we are being picky the larger case shape takes on a more angular aesthetic than the 1976 version. Where the SL was noted for its rounded structure, the end links on the case and the centre links of the bracelet were more rounded than rectangular. The new Ingenieur sports a more aggressive case with polished lines giving a sharp, more defined aesthetic.
The updated IWC Ingenieur Automatic 40 in white and black dial configurations
Across the rest of the watch the Genta-isms are in full view. The bolt holes dotted across the circular flat topped bezel remain unchanged and the dial reinterprets the checkerboard effect from the SL with great success. The alternating lined and dotted squares are a distinctive look and unique to the Ingenieur. To leave them out would have been a crime.
Tag Heuer Autavia Chronograph
Tag Heuer Autavia Dashboard Timer (1933)
This legendary vintage watch actually started life not as a watch at all but as a lap timer affixed to the dashboard of racing cars. In 1962 Jack Heuer introduced the Autavia wristwatch as a collection of racing inspired chronographs. The first edition of the watch was a favourite among celebs and the public for its highly legible dial. In the 1960s racing legends from Jacky Ickx and Emerson Fittipaldi to Gilles Villeneuve were ambassadors for the collection. Today the Autavia represents an iconic racing chrono from a brand more synonymous with motor racing than any other.
Heuer Autavia ref. 2446 (1692), image credit: Heuer Price Guide
The Autavia was characterised by a ‘reverse panda’ configuration dial which has become a favourite among chronographs even today. However, unlike many modern chronographs which deploy tachymeters and text across the bezel, the Autavia used numeric hour markers for a no-nonsense look. Over the years Tag Heuer did get more creative. A GMT version followed and colour was introduced with blue and red bezels, orange hands and blue dial accents. Yet, it’s the first edition Autavia, which ceased production in 1969, that’s the true icon.
In 2017 Tag Heuer celebrated the 55th anniversary of the Autavia with a reedition of the original albeit with some updates. The 2017 edition maintains the original aesthetic, the black dial is punctuated by white subdials and a black bezel was as plain as could be with roman numeral hour markers. Tag even went as far as colouring the tips of hour markers and lume on the hands in a beige patina effect colour in order to apply a vintage look.
Tag updated Heuer Autavia, ref. CBE2116
In truth the reissue only had two major changes to differ it from the original. Firstly, two of the subdials had been swapped around. The 1962 Autavia placed hours at 6 o’clock and minutes and 9 o’clock, by 2017 these dials had swapped positions. This isn’t a major change and certainly doesn’t detract from the look of the watch but seeing as we are being picky it’s worth pointing out.
The other change is harder to ignore. In 2017 Tag Heuer added a date window on to the 6 o’clock subdial. This was a new feature of the updated automatic Heuer 02 calibre which powered the reissue. After 55 years bringing the movement to modern standards is a welcome upgrade but the date seems unnecessary. Why go to such lengths as to recreate a patina effect on parts of the dial only to plant a date window in the middle?
Jaeger-LeCoultre Memovox
Jaeger-LeCoultre Memovox (1960’s)
Jaeger-LeCoultre, regularly referred to as ‘the watchmakers watchmaker’, always kept several crucial innovations for their own brand. In the 1950s they created the legendary vintage Memovox watch which, with some linguistic gymnastics, means ‘the voice of memory’ in Latin. The Memovox movement, Calibre 489, cleverly separated the power reserve and time keeping elements from the alarm component. In practical terms this meant the Memovox required two crowns. One for winding and setting the watch, the other for setting the alarm function.
Jaeger LeCoutlre Polaris Memovox ref. E859 (1965), image credit: Christie’s
At first glance the 1950s Memovox has the appearance of a ‘pie pan’ style dial. The pie pan design is one most commonly found on vintage Omegas and gets its name due to an inner ring on the dial which makes it look like a pie dish you’d use for cooking. On the Memovox the rotating inner ring is used to set your alarm. You use the second crown to rotate a small triangle marker to point at the time when you need the alarm to sound.
The Memovox was a big hit when it was first released in dress watch format with a leather strap. Such was the success that JLC would later release a Memovox Deep Sea Dive watch in 1959 in order to make the watch accessible to a wider audience. This Memovox diver would go on to be rebranded Polaris in the early 1960s.
The Polaris Memovox was starting to radically differ from the original. This new dive watch now contained three crowns. The third crown was used to rotate the bezel which sat under the crystal so the wearer could time dives. This wasn’t the only new feature of the Polaris, in the case back were 16 holes which allowed for greater sound amplification and mean’t the alarm could be heard even under water.
The current Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris Mariner Memovox ref. Q903818J
Fast forward to today and this is how we come to know the Memovox, as a subset of the Polaris and now the Master Control collections. After starting out life as a stand alone model the Memovox has now been relegated to a subsection of the catalogue.
In 2018 JLC reintroduced the Polaris range in full. The launch of the updated collection contained a variety of different models one of which was a reintroduction of the Polaris Memovox. The current Polaris Memovox, like the Ingenieur, is a nod to the original rather than a recreation. It shares the same alarm functionality and 3 crown design with rotating alarm disk and internal dive bezel but that’s about where the similarities stop. The dial design and case shape have all been radically modernised to create a future proof sports watch. The larger hour markers are certainly more practical and legible than the original and there’s now no need for holes on the caseback to amplify sound.
Overall, the Memovox is a hard one to interpret. This legendary watch was a big success in the 60s yet today the Polaris Memovox hasn’t reached the same heights of other steel sports models on the market. Should JLC revert back to the first ever Memovox pre-Polaris? It’s hard to tell if that would be any more appealing in today’s market.
Rolex Daytona
Paul Newman’s Rolex Daytona Ref. 6239, image credit: Phillips
So far we’ve been referencing the various commercial successes of these watches when they first launched. And you might think the Daytona, one of the most sought after watches of today, has been a triumphant success from the start. It’s not the case. It didn’t become a legendary vintage watch until much later when the influence of Paul Newman pushed it into the spotlight.
The iconic ‘Paul Newman’, reference 6239, was the first chronograph to bear the name Daytona and was offered in two configurations. A black dial with white subdials or with the colours reversed fondly known as the ‘panda’. Other key features of the 6239 include a red minute track on the outer edge of the dial, square box markers on the subdials and a steel bezel. The 6239 was also the first reference to carry a tachymeter on the bezel rather than printed on the dial. In many ways the 6239 has fed the design of all modern Daytonas.
The udpated Rolex Daytona ‘Le Mans’ ref. 126500LN
In general, Rolex aren’t ones for re-issues or re-releases. They honour their history by delivering updated models that blend the past with cutting edge modern design and materials. The modern Daytona is no exception. Look across the line up and no existing model in the stable shares a true likeness to the ‘Paul Newman’. Almost every aspect of the 6239 has been updated over the years.
The steel Daytona models are awash with new materials. Most obvious is the new ceramic bezel, which is black rather than silver and the movement has had a complete overhaul as well. The dial configurations still include black and white with the colours being inverted for the subdials, though only on the chapter rings not the whole subdial. The case has taken on new shapes and proportions with big changes to the crown and pushers. The modern steel Daytona now comes with crown guards and the pushers have a screw down locking function to stop them being pushed accidentally and to improve water resistance. The red track on the dial has been removed and the only red is the text ‘Daytona’ printed in the centre of the dial.
Rolex Daytona ref. 126509
Perhaps the closest in look to the original Daytona from the current line-up is the white gold variant ref. 126509. With the white gold bezel it replicates the all steel look of the 6239 and the dial is available with either a true panda or reverse panda configuration with solid colour subdials.
Looking at the Daytona through the ages is like looking at an evolution chart, you can see where it all started but the modern iteration has evolved a long way over 60 years. Is this because Rolex strives to be at the front of the watch industry setting the path for the future? Or is it because the might not be able to do justice to one of the most legendary watches of all time? Either way it would be fun to see them try.
