The original Reference 222 was introduced to mark the 222nd anniversary of Vacheron Constantin in 1977. A luxury sports watch with the integrated bracelet following the aesthetic set by stalwarts like the Royal Oak and the Nautilus (launched earlier in the 1970s), the Ref. 222 was designed by the renowned Jörg Hysek. Featuring an ultra-thin angular case, the 222 had an integrated bracelet and a two-part case with an ingenuous screw-down serrated bezel. Radically diverging from the already existing design notions of the brand, the wristwatch paved the way for the future sport timepieces of the manufacture.

The present timepiece is a contemporary reissue of the historic model introduced by the brand in 2022 and sits within the brand’s Historiques collection of vintage-inspired timepieces. It features a monobloc tonneau-shaped satin-polished case with polished accents, and is topped with a grooved bezel and an integrated bracelet. A Maltese cross is visible at 5 o'clock and in a departure from the original design, the reissue has an open caseback that allows for interrupted views of the movement which is equipped with an oscillating weight specially redesigned for this model.