Vacheron Constantin Historiques Cornes De Vache 5000H/000A-B582

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Vacheron Constantin Historiques Cornes De Vache 5000H/000A-B582

Ref. X50A2879

The Cornes de Vache takes its name from the curved, horn-shaped lugs that made the original 1955 reference 6087 immediately recognisable, and this reissue reproduces that silhouette with close fidelity. Where most chronograph revivals smooth away the details that made their ancestors strange, Vacheron kept the architecture intact — the lugs still sweep outward in that particular exaggerated arc that looked eccentric in 1955 and reads as assured now. At 38.5mm with a lug-to-lug of 47.4mm, the case sits closer to the wrist than the numbers suggest, and the 10.9mm profile keeps it beneath a cuff without the usual compromise of a chronograph worn casually. The Calibre 1142 underneath is the reason to linger: a column-wheel manual movement descended from the Lemania 2310 architecture, decorated to the standard required by the Hallmark of Geneva, which this movement carries. The brown Serapian calfskin strap and the half-Maltese-cross buckle are details most owners notice only once someone else points them out, and then cannot stop noticing.

Reference: X50A2879
Brand: Vacheron Constantin
Collection: HistoriquesCase Size: 38
Case size: 38.5mm
Case thickness: 10.9mm
Case material: Stainless steel
Case shape: Round
Dial: Grey
Crystal: Sapphire
Movement: Manual
Calibre: 1142
Functions: Chronograph, Small seconds
Water resistance: 30m
Bracelet / strap: Leather strap
Strap colour: Brown
Clasp: Buckle
Lume: Luminous
Condition: Pre-owned
Retailer: Mappin & Webb

Additional specifications

Lug-to-lug: 47.4mm
Power reserve: 48 hours

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 Stainless Steel Watches (2,762), Chronograph Watches (1,130), Leather Strap Watches (896), Back in Stock (820), Grey Dial Watches (224) and Pre-Owned, Ex-Display & Vintage Watches (220).

What the specifications mean

A slim watch on leather, made for wearing with a shirt.

Strengths

38.5mm suits most wrists
Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
Luminous hands and markers for low light

Worth knowing

30m means keeping it away from water

Best forEveryday wearTiming 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 48 hours fully wound — enough to survive a night off the wrist, but not a full weekend.

Will it fit my wrist?

Lug-to-lug is 47.4mm, which suits wrists from roughly 16.5cm (6½ 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, though at 38.5mm it sits in the range that suits anyone.

Cheapest place to buy

Mappin & Webb at £36,450, 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 £36,450 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.