Vacheron Constantin Celebrates 260 Years With an Exciting, New 'Harmony' Line of Watches

When it comes to wristwatches, history is serious business. Vacheron Constantin was founded in 1755, making it the oldest continuously operating watch manufacturer in the world. It weathered the fall of European monarchies, a pair of world wars, and the watch industry's so-called "Quartz Crisis" of the 1970s and 80s—and the brand's current custodians aren't going to let you forget it. To celebrate the company's 260th anniversary this year, Vacheron Constantin has unveiled the "Harmony" collection, a group of cushion-shaped watches ranging from a simple dual-time number to a monster chronograph that sets a new world record.

The particulars of this line of watches vary, but the new cushion case shape is the Harmony line's signature. Designing a balanced cushion case is a delicate matter; if it's too round, it can look like a square watch that had a little too much fondue for dinner, but if it's too angular it appears rough and unfinished. The Harmony case really nails this balancing act, particularly with the short curved lugs and the proportion of the dial opening to the bezel width. At 42 millimeters across, the men's chronographs are a little large for my tastes, but the 40mm men's dual time and 37mm women's watches felt great on the wrist.