Vacheron Constantin FiftySix Complete Calendar Moonphase, any opinion?

[cjohn]

I tried the rose gold VC and Patek 5396R-012 at store, VC is 40mm which fits me better, Patek is 38.5mm, VC is $12k cheap? any opinion? thanks everyone.

[Ichiran]

I do not appreciate the alternation of batons and numerals on the VC's dial. The font of the VC numerals is also not for me.

The 5396 is beautiful on the other hands. The breguet are perfect.

[MCMartiny]

Originally Posted by cjohn

I tried the rose gold VC and Patek 5396R-012 at store, VC is 40mm which fits me better, Patek is 38.5mm, VC is $12k cheap? any opinion? thanks everyone.

Looked at the VCs the other day. Found out the date version (£10k) is not Geneva Seal certified and the movement finishing is nice but not quite normal VC/PP level (e.g. edges of the 1326 movement bridges are bevelled by CNC machining and not by hand).

The Day-Date and Triple Calendar (this is not an annual calendar like the 5396, mind you) on the other hand are Geneva Seal certified and finished to a higher PP-like standard.

See http://watchesbysjx.com/2018/01/how-...-fiftysix.html

[tyler1980]

4 central hands on a dress watch is too much and thats my favorite of the bunch.

[benlee]

Will not be bothered. Its a compromised product line at a lower price point to gain 1st time buyers, even though VC promote them heavily.

[fewwords]

Fiftysix looks like Clifton PC from Baume er Mercier. Only worth for people who care for brand name.

[MP5]

I dont care if its the "A Class" I like it, especially in stainless- Dont care like it a whole bunch

[fewwords]

You sure you would like it with a different name?
Sorry, but this piece has nothing to do with Vacheron Constantin!

[MCMartiny]

Originally Posted by fewwords

You sure you would like it with a different name?
Sorry, but this piece has nothing to do with Vacheron Constantin!

I think the Day-Date and Truple Calendar are true blood Vacherons. These are based on Geneva Seal certified Cal. 2640 movements also found in VC's other lines. The disappointment is the non-Geneva Seal Date model which serve to blur the lines between the VC brand and other lower end Richemont Group brands.

[fewwords]

Originally Posted by MCMartiny

the movement finishing is nice but not quite normal VC/PP level (e.g. edges of the 1326 movement bridges are bevelled by CNC machining and not by hand).

Finishing level is quite the same as PP, just with a different or almost no decoration. Bevels are made by hand-guided machine, just like PP. No geneva seal, no requiring to remove any sign of machine-tooling.

[Slider817]

I don’t get the whole triple calendar thing, why not make it an annual calendar. I’m not a big fan of this specific Vacheron line, but I do think the brand, and other models offer much better value than Patek, especially used. I have a rose gold traditional that I love, much nicer in my opinion than the calatrava.

[superdog]

I like VC a lot.

And I think these watches are attractive.

But I’d not spend the money on one.

[AK797]

5396 with Breguets is my choice.

[GB-man]

I think Lange handles this space best.

[tonupbklyn]

boy, they really screwed up the symmetry on the dial with that PR indicator positioning. ugh

[vladamir15]

Go with Patek - more classic and will hold better value. Vacheron is going to take a big hit. Also, I wish they would take out the numerals - it would look much better with only battons.

[Justindo]

I like Vacheron and they can be had at a nice discount, both new and used, but I'm not a big fan of this particular line. If you're looking at the gold version, I like the Traditionnelle manifestation of this watch much better and it's only slightly more expensive.

In this price range, I'd probably go for the Lange 1815 Annual Calendar or, if you're looking at something more vintage inspired, the manual Historiques 1948. If you want to save even more, the JLC Master Control Calendar is quite lovely. As for Vacheron's finishing, it's at least as good as Patek's these days and Patek's annual calendars don't have the greatest resale either.

[texasmade]

I like the gold complete calendar watch. The SS looks washed out with the steel and white dial. But I agree with most people that the Lange watch looks much nicer if choosing between Lange or VC.

[capote]

I don’t like the cases of the 56s or the fact that they use a Cartier sources movement for the date version. Not a fan of the date indicator on the Patek either, it would be perfect if they scrapped the useless 24 hour indicator and went with the 3940 layout. IMO the nicest AC is GP’s 1966 AC/EoT watch

[Justindo]

Originally Posted by capote

I don’t like the cases of the 56s or the fact that they use a Cartier sources movement for the date version. Not a fan of the date indicator on the Patek either, it would be perfect if they scrapped the useless 24 hour indicator and went with the 3940 layout. IMO the nicest AC is GP’s 1966 AC/EoT watch

I wholeheartedly agree. I'm not a fan of a sweep second hand on a dress watch but I can live with it. What I really dislike is the date window. This watch would look so much better if a date subdial replaced the silly 24 hour indicator. This is why, aesthetically speaking, I much prefer what Vacheron and especially JLC did with their calendars.

[DasKptl]

I love, love Vacheron FiftySix Complete Calendar, especially the one in SS. I saw it some weeks ago in person at an AD in Chicago. It looked so much more beautiful in person. And it felt just perfect on the wrist.


As for Patek 5396, the numeral markers look ugly. I much prefer the 5396 versions with stick markers, like this:

[DoraTheExplorerII]

Blancpain makes a better one.