Vacheron Constantin

WHL
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The Toledo 1951 side-by-side with the Toledo 1952

I have recently taken a shine to the Historiques Toledo 1951, dedicating a full review to it and stating that it has leap-frogged the Historiques American 1921 as my favorite watch in the Historiques collection. In private conversations with some forum members I have been getting feedback that they actually have a preference for (and more often than not, actually own) the Toledo 1952, which has the classic triple calendar display. I finally got the chance to have the rose gold Toledo 1951 sit side-by-side with the Toledo 1952 and wanted to share the photos with the forum.

 The Toledo 1951 has a width of 36.4 mm and the Toledo 1952 a width of 35.7. While essentially the same, the 1951 has a larger presence due to the fact that the dial has so much open space. 

On the other hand, the 1952 has a dial that really pops due to all the information that is on display.

I especially like the moon phase with blue background, gold stars, and that the night sky expends beyond the blue disk to the dial.

The designers at Vacheron Constantin did a great job in keep the dial of the triple calendar clean, with frames for the day and month, an inner textured pattern that stops at the date ring, which then steps up to the outer applied hour and railroad minute track.

The Purist in me appreciates the fact that the guilloche dial of the 1951 is hand-made on a rose engine on a gold plate which is then silvered.

Note the extra thickness of the 1952 over the 1951, due to the movement being thicker to accommodate the calendar complication.

When the Toledo 1952 came out in 2003 Vacheron Constantin did not yet have an in-house self-winding movement to power the watch. As was the brand’s tradition, it sourced the movement from Jaeger-LeCoultre.

Both the 1951 and the 1952 have solid case backs.

Again, the Purist in me has a preference for the manufacture movement (calibre 2460 SC) in the 1951. Vacheron Constantin also now has the entire watch certified for the Geneva Hallmark, and the hallmark is engraved on the movement as well as on the case back (next to the reference number).

One subtle change that Vacheron Constantin has been bringing to its watches over the past couple of years is having a small scale alligator backing for the straps that go on some of its watches. This wasn’t and option when the Toledo 1952 came out, but it is small detail that I appreciated, if only for hiding moisture and sweat staines on the inside of the strap.

Both of these watches are outstanding, and would have a place of pride in any collection, but I still have a preference for the Toledo 1951 over the Toledo 1952. Please let me know which you prefer, and why.

Bill

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