To celebrate its bicentennial in 1955, Vacheron Constantin wowed the world when, with Jaeger-LeCoultre, its usual movement supplier, it unveiled what was then the thinnest round calibre ever. This tiny calibre - 9 lignes or 20.8 mm in diameter - was a mere 1.64 mm high, setting a new world record for its category. Over the coming decades it was chosen for several models. The most famous of these is the Patrimony, a nineteen-sixty model that remains engraved in our memories as a truly classic watch.

The hand-wound movement beating at 18,000 vibrations is lodged inside a yellow gold case. The silver dial has simple hour markers and slender baton hands. This extra-slim watch whose style embraces only the strict essentials has continued to seduce for its elegance and discretion.