Vacheron Constantin’s Quai de l’Ile was an adventurous new line for the brand when it was introduced back in 2008, breaking it away from its more conservative offerings in the Patrimony collection. It was a watch that struck a chord with me, and I have written a few articles about it, including one in-depth review in which I made a case for the design being the logical culmination of a number of trends in Vacheron Constantin’s modern history.
I also made it a point to add one to my collection, choosing the palladium Date model for my own wrist:
It was a watch I really enjoyed owning and wearing, especially after I put it on a gray alligator strap.
Despite my personal enthusiasm for the Quai de l’Ile collection, it doesn’t seem to generate much buzz on this or any of the Vacheron Constantin dedicated watch forums, nor does it seem to be one of the better selling collections for the brand. My musings here today, studded with fresh photographs of the rose gold Quai de l’Ile Date, are to speculate on why this might be so.
The Market
Vacheron Constantin launched the Quai de l’Ile collection just as the economic crisis was entering its panic phase, with the collapse of Lehman Brothers and the teetering of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and AIG. The loss of confidence in the financial markets and subsequent recession did not make for a good backdrop for the launch of a new and boldly designed luxury wristwatch, which is an entirely discretionary purchase (as much as I “need” to get still another Overseas onto my wrist). Was an adventurous design stillborn in a world that went more conservative?
Another way to look at this, however, is to think that my expectations were not in realistic for the line. While Vacheron Constantin keeps its production numbers close to the vest, I have heard from Breguet that their Tradition collection, a spiritual cousin to Vacheron Constantin’s Quai de l’Ile, represents less than 5% of units delivered.
The Watch
Perhaps wristwatch collectors, or at least Vacheron Constantin collectors, were not willing to follow to where the designers wanted to take them. While the watch’s modular case design allows for the client to order it in a number of different configurations, mixing and matching titanium, palladium, and rose gold, along with different darkness levels to the movement under the dial to suit one’s taste, this might not be something that collectors want to do, preferring either to take it stock from a dealer’s showcase or to go all out with a truly bespoke piece from Vacheron Constantin’s Atelier Cabinotier.
The sapphire dials of the original design might have been too adventurous for most collector’s taste, yet when the new solid dials started to appear in 2011 there was no upsurge of interest in the collection. Ditto for the introduction of Vacheron Constantin’s first annual calendar complication in the Quai de l’Ile.
Still, there is a lot to appreciate about the Quai de l’Ile. The design and finishing on the case is outstanding, and it has a wonderful presence on the wrist. I found that it accompanied me flawlessly no matter how dressed up or down I was. It was a nice counterpoint in a collection that had consisted of a lot of dress watches as well as luxury sport watches.
The Value
Related to the market is the fact that the value of the Quai de l’Ile is set at a material premium to other watches with the same movements. At the time of this writing, a Patrimony Contemporaine automatic with date, reference 85180, in rose gold has a retail value of $26,500. The rose gold Quai de l’Ile Date has a retail value of $40,900. It seems only natural that prospective purchasers are going to have to justify to themselves both that the Quai de l’Ile delivers on the the $14,400 premium to the Contemporaine and that it competes well with all of all the other $40,000 watches out there. This is such a personal decision.
I would appreciate it if readers will chime in on this matter. Do you like the Quai de l’Ile in and of itself? Do you think it represents good value for the price?
Bill
VC Forum Moderator