BY JOVAN KRSTEVSKI
Vulcain has been creating unique collections of watches since 1885, which include original pieces that have yet to be reissued. The Swiss brand is mainly known for its alarm watches, cricket alarms, and has been a favorite among collectors for decades. Recently, while exploring the old product catalogs, Guillaume Laidet, a consultant in charge of collections at Vulcain, discovered a hidden gem – a chronograph from the 1970s, featuring a blue dial and gray counters. The newly introduced Chronograph 1970s pays homage to the original model in design and style and is aimed to appeal to lovers of vintage chronographs. Besides the faithful recreation of the original, the release also includes three other variations of the dial style.
The semi-gloss sunray brushed dial of the Vulcain Chronograph 1970s is available in black reverse panda, black panda, silver panda, blue panda and salmon. Double domed sapphire crystal on top mimics retro plexiglass and has Anti-Reflective Coating. Silver counters and a blue dial were characteristics of the original watch that served as inspiration and there’s a thinly printed tachymeter scale on the periphery of the dial. A two-counter display is on the dial at the third and ninth hours. The hands are silver-colored baton hands and the applied markers and baton hands are treated with thin lines and dots of Super-LumiNova. The dials in all variations have a semi-gloss finish, with a sunray-brushed surface.
The case of the Vulcain Chronograph 1970s is made of stainless steel, and a faithful recreation of the original design, the watches are 38mm x 12.40mm thick with a step-case like the vintage model. The case is partially brushed and polished and has a closed steel caseback. Water-resistance is rated at 50 meters. A pair of pump pushers on the side adds to the vintage charm of the watch.
The Vulcain Chronograph 1970s is powered by a hand-wound chronograph movement. The movement is Sellita SW510 M BH b, which is a manual wind cam-lever chronograph movement based on the architecture of the Valjoux. It has a solid power reserve of 63 hours and vibrates at 28,800vph. This 23 jewels movement offers hours, minutes, small seconds, and a 30-minute chronograph.
All models will be part of the permanent collection, except for the monotone salmon dial, which is limited to 50 pieces. The brand offers a wide selection of straps, ranging from smooth leather to alligator skin or alligator-embossed leather, in different colors, allowing buyers to customize their watch to their liking. The Vulcain Chronograph 1970s Hand-Wound watches will be available for orders from the brand’s website as of March 22nd, at a price of EUR 2,500, CHF 2,500 or USD 2,650.
