My first attempt at writing a review of watches in my collection. Pls bear with me as it is rather long and probably sloppy 😂
The watch:
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What I got here is the Vacheron Constantin Fiftysix self-winding, blue dial and on the bracelet.
It is a simple steel 40mm three-hander with a small-ish date window, not much WR (30m), polished all over and even equipped with a ValFleurier ebauche movement instead of an in-house one. All of which sound like blasphemy against the "history and heritage" of VC, as many journalists and online commenters would argue 😰. However, to me, it is an excellently executed watch that is exactly what I'm looking for! A watch I'm happy to wear casually with shorts and tee but still look darn classy without being jewelry-like.
The Dial:
![Image]()
![Image]()
The dial is a sector-type dial with a mixed of Arabic numerals and stick indices. The color is called petrol blue, which is like a dark teal with lots more blue in it. What interesting is that the dial appears to have 2 different finishes from what I can see 🤔 The center inner section has a more matte finish while the outer part is sunburst. The date window at 3 o'clock is indeed kinda small. Nevertheless, I like how it neatly aligns centrally (both window and date) on the inner track and the smallness makes it feel like it's a part of that track. The font of the date and the other numerals seem to be the same as well, which add to the uniformity of the design. Overall, this dial really works for me. It is coherent and seems to follow a clear game plan. The color does lack the vibrancy and depth of the Oversea blue but still a pretty nice shade of blue imo.
The case and bracelet:
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The case is sized at 40mm but I think it wears closer to a 39mm on my 6" wrist. The bigger size helps the watch feel more sporty, especially with the bracelet. It is also quite slim (under 10mm I believe) so definitely doesn't feel top heavy and I can comfortably wear it all day.
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The bracelet is a multi-link type (kinda like a Breitling bracelet?) that are mostly polished except 2 rows in the middle (unusual). It feels solid and wears surprisingly comfortable, and dare I say, rolex jubilee-level comfort 😜
![Image]()
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The twin trigger clasp feels strong and secure while hiding a nifty trick. Each side of the clasp has an adjustable extension of ~2mm I believe, which is the same trick as the Oversea bracelet! This seems to be overlooked in most reviews, even the VC boutique rep didn't think it has the feature at first and needed to double check 😲 Neat!
The movement:
![Image]()
ValFleurier ebauche movement but regulated, decorated and assembled by VC. Doesn't qualify for the Geneva Seal but looks beautifully done to me. They even put in a skeletonized 22k gold rotor to make it more dramatic 😉 Seems to be a practical, workhorse-like movement from what I heard?
The buying process:
We're nearly at the end now, I promise.
I did around 2 months of research then utilize my trip to NYC to try it on in person. Went to the VC boutique on Madison and had an awesome experience. Was offered the Fiftysix and the 34.5mm blue oversea on the spot. The Oversea wear too small even for my 6" wrist but the Fiftysix was quite incredible in the metal and I was convinced then. Unfortunately, the boutique wasn't able to offer any discount and I ended up getting a lightly used one from European Watch Co with a healthy discount instead (MY 2022 and eligible for the extended warranty til 2030)
The conclusion:
If you're still reading, you have my sincere thank for keeping up with me!
I have the Fiftysix for around a week now and feel very satisfied with it. It compliment the rest of my collection well and I do hope it will be a long term tenant in my watchbox 👍
The watch:
What I got here is the Vacheron Constantin Fiftysix self-winding, blue dial and on the bracelet.
It is a simple steel 40mm three-hander with a small-ish date window, not much WR (30m), polished all over and even equipped with a ValFleurier ebauche movement instead of an in-house one. All of which sound like blasphemy against the "history and heritage" of VC, as many journalists and online commenters would argue 😰. However, to me, it is an excellently executed watch that is exactly what I'm looking for! A watch I'm happy to wear casually with shorts and tee but still look darn classy without being jewelry-like.
The Dial:
The dial is a sector-type dial with a mixed of Arabic numerals and stick indices. The color is called petrol blue, which is like a dark teal with lots more blue in it. What interesting is that the dial appears to have 2 different finishes from what I can see 🤔 The center inner section has a more matte finish while the outer part is sunburst. The date window at 3 o'clock is indeed kinda small. Nevertheless, I like how it neatly aligns centrally (both window and date) on the inner track and the smallness makes it feel like it's a part of that track. The font of the date and the other numerals seem to be the same as well, which add to the uniformity of the design. Overall, this dial really works for me. It is coherent and seems to follow a clear game plan. The color does lack the vibrancy and depth of the Oversea blue but still a pretty nice shade of blue imo.
The case and bracelet:
The case is sized at 40mm but I think it wears closer to a 39mm on my 6" wrist. The bigger size helps the watch feel more sporty, especially with the bracelet. It is also quite slim (under 10mm I believe) so definitely doesn't feel top heavy and I can comfortably wear it all day.
The bracelet is a multi-link type (kinda like a Breitling bracelet?) that are mostly polished except 2 rows in the middle (unusual). It feels solid and wears surprisingly comfortable, and dare I say, rolex jubilee-level comfort 😜
The twin trigger clasp feels strong and secure while hiding a nifty trick. Each side of the clasp has an adjustable extension of ~2mm I believe, which is the same trick as the Oversea bracelet! This seems to be overlooked in most reviews, even the VC boutique rep didn't think it has the feature at first and needed to double check 😲 Neat!
The movement:
ValFleurier ebauche movement but regulated, decorated and assembled by VC. Doesn't qualify for the Geneva Seal but looks beautifully done to me. They even put in a skeletonized 22k gold rotor to make it more dramatic 😉 Seems to be a practical, workhorse-like movement from what I heard?
The buying process:
We're nearly at the end now, I promise.
I did around 2 months of research then utilize my trip to NYC to try it on in person. Went to the VC boutique on Madison and had an awesome experience. Was offered the Fiftysix and the 34.5mm blue oversea on the spot. The Oversea wear too small even for my 6" wrist but the Fiftysix was quite incredible in the metal and I was convinced then. Unfortunately, the boutique wasn't able to offer any discount and I ended up getting a lightly used one from European Watch Co with a healthy discount instead (MY 2022 and eligible for the extended warranty til 2030)
The conclusion:
If you're still reading, you have my sincere thank for keeping up with me!
I have the Fiftysix for around a week now and feel very satisfied with it. It compliment the rest of my collection well and I do hope it will be a long term tenant in my watchbox 👍
