Vacheron Constantin Harmony Chronograph 42mm Rose Gold

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Vacheron Constantin Harmony Chronograph 42mm Rose Gold

Ref. 5300S/000R-B055

The Harmony Chronograph is a direct revival of a 1928 Vacheron Constantin medical chronograph, and the lineage shows in every design decision. The cushion case, the blue painted Arabic numerals, the leaf-shaped hands and the red pulsimeter track around the dial's perimeter are all drawn from that original instrument — this is not a loose interpretation but a considered reconstruction, issued in 2015 as a limited edition of 260 pieces to mark the manufacture's 260th anniversary. The calibre 3300 was developed specifically for this watch, and its credentials are of the highest order: it carries the Hallmark of Geneva, the gold balance cock is engraved by hand using Vacheron's traditional Fleurisanne technique, and the whole movement is visible through a sapphire caseback. The mechanism is a monopusher chronograph — one pusher, no shortcuts — and at 65 hours of power reserve it is generous for a hand-wound movement of this complexity. At 51.6mm lug to lug, the cushion form distributes the footprint across the wrist more naturally than a round case of equivalent diameter would, and the 18k rose gold deployant clasp is stamped with the Maltese Cross, Vacheron's emblem, rather than left as anonymous hardware.

Reference: 5300S/000R-B055
Brand: Vacheron Constantin
Case size: 42mm
Case thickness: 12.81mm
Case material: Rose gold
Case shape: Cushion
Dial: Silver
Crystal: Sapphire
Movement: Manual
Calibre: 3300
Functions: Chronograph, Small seconds, Power reserve indicator, Tachymeter
Water resistance: 30m
Bracelet / strap: Leather strap
Strap colour: Brown
Clasp: Deployant clasp
Lume: Luminous
Condition: Pre-owned
Retailer: Mappin & Webb

Additional specifications

Lug-to-lug: 51.6mm
Power reserve: 65 hours
Gem set: Yes

Learn more about Vacheron Constantin

Jean-Marc Vacheron signed his first apprenticeship contract in Geneva in 1755, an act that begins the longest unbroken run of watchmaking in the industry. The house has produced watches every year since — through the French occupation of Geneva, two world wars, and the quartz crisis that killed most of its contemporaries.

The decisive partnership came in 1819, when François Constantin joined Jacques-Barthélémi Vacheron and supplied the motto still carried today: do better if possible, and that is always possible. Constantin travelled Europe selling the watches while Vacheron built them, an arrangement that turned a Geneva workshop into an international house.

In 1839 the company hired Georges-Auguste Leschot, whose pantograph allowed movement components to be made to consistent dimensions. It was among the first serious steps toward interchangeable parts in Swiss watchmaking, and it let the house scale complication work without surrendering hand finishing.

Vacheron is the senior member of the so-called holy trinity alongside Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet, and remains the reference for Geneva finishing: hand-applied anglage, the Maltese cross emblem taken from a movement component, and a catalogue running from plain three-handers to the most complicated wristwatches ever assembled. The Overseas, introduced in the 1990s and descended from the 222 of 1977, is the modern volume model.

The house has belonged to Richemont since 1996.

1755: Jean-Marc Vacheron establishes his workshop in Geneva.
1819: François Constantin joins; the firm becomes Vacheron & Constantin.
1839: Georges-Auguste Leschot introduces the pantograph for consistent components.
1977: The 222 launches, ancestor of the Overseas.
1996: Acquired by Richemont.

Also in 6 collections

This watch appears in Chronograph Watches (1,017), Leather Strap Watches (825), Silver Dial Watches (576), Pre-Owned, Ex-Display & Vintage Watches (199), Limited Edition Watches (157) and Tonneau & Cushion Watches (152).

What the specifications mean

Strengths

Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
Luminous hands and markers for low light

Worth knowing

30m means keeping it away from water

Best forTiming thingsFormal wear

Less suited toWater

Your new watch

Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch

Can I swim with it?

No. At 30m it will survive rain and handwashing, but not submersion of any kind.

Will the glass scratch?

Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.

Does it need a battery?

No. It is hand-wound, so it needs winding every day or two but never a battery.

How long does it run for when it's not worn?

About 65 hours fully wound — enough to sit off the wrist over a weekend and still be running.

Will it fit my wrist?

Lug-to-lug is 51.6mm, which suits wrists from roughly 17.5cm (7 inches) upward.

Lug-to-lug decides fit more than case diameter does.

Is it a men's or women's watch?

Listed as men's.

Cheapest place to buy

Mappin & Webb at £41,950, pre-owned. No UK retailer we track lists this reference new.

Is this available new?

Not from the UK retailers we track. This reference is listed as pre-owned only, at £41,950 from Mappin & Webb. A pre-owned watch has been worn, and is normally sold under the retailer’s own warranty rather than the manufacturer’s.