Vacheron Constantin Reimagines the Fiftysix Self-Winding and Complete Calendar

Vacheron Constantin launched the Fiftysix in 2018 as its take on everyday elegance, a modern collection steeped in the round watches of the 1950s. Eight years on, the Maison has revisited the design codes that made it a modern classic, and on November 10, 2026, it introduced the new look on two of the line’s key models: the Fiftysix Self-Winding and the Fiftysix Complete Calendar, both in 40mm stainless steel with a reworked sector dial, new case finishes, and a new strap.

The name points to 1956, the year Vacheron Constantin launched Reference 6073. A quintessential mid-century dress watch, the time-only 6073 gave the Fiftysix its lugs that evoke the Maltese Cross and its box-style crystal, and it was one of the Maison’s first watches fitted with a self-winding movement—which is why every Fiftysix runs on an automatic caliber. The original measured 35mm; the modern collection does not chase those proportions. “It is not Vacheron Constantin’s mission to reproduce the past identically, to reproduce what has already been done,” explains Christian Selmoni, Maison Legacy & Style Director at Vacheron Constantin. “In this respect, the Fiftysix collection can be defined as modern with a retro touch.”

The update starts with the case. The beveled lugs, a Fiftysix signature, are now vertically brushed and polished on the bevel, and the case sides carry the same vertical brushing in contrast to a polished bezel, crown, and, where fitted, correctors. Cool-toned steel sets off the gray double-gradient dials, and both models arrive on an anthracite nubuck calfskin strap with calfskin lining, ecru stitching, and a stainless-steel folding clasp.

On the Fiftysix Self-Winding, Ref. 4600E/000A-H177, the sector layout reads more boldly than before: a lighter gray gradient opaline center sits inside a darker gray sunburst chapter ring, framed by a light gray snailed minutes track. A thin white inner minutes track divides the two zones, and the date window at 3 o’clock is aligned precisely with its center—a small detail that says a lot about how the dial was drawn. Applied hour markers in 18k white gold alternate Arabic numerals with elongated rectangular indexes, and the baton hands match. Blue Super-LumiNova on the hands and hour markers handles low light.

Inside the 9.6mm case is Caliber 1326, a self-winding movement of 142 components and 25 jewels running at 4 Hz with a 48-hour power reserve. It drives hours, minutes, central seconds, and date, and a stop-seconds device allows precise time-setting. The sapphire caseback shows Côtes de Genève, circular graining, and snailing, along with the collection’s signature openworked rotor in 22k pink gold with polished and satin-brushed finishes and a Maltese Cross appliqué.

The Fiftysix Complete Calendar, Ref. 4000E/000A-H178, flips the palette, with a darker gray gradient opaline center and a lighter gray sunburst chapter ring separated by a contrasting white minutes track. Day and month sit in rectangular apertures in the upper half of the dial, balanced by a moon phase below, while a hand points to the date around a black snailed date ring that matches the moon phase’s night sky. The moon, the applied Maltese Cross, the hour markers, and the baton hands are all polished 18k white gold, with the same blue Super-LumiNova as on the Self-Winding.

The complication carries its own history at the Maison. The complete calendar, also known as the triple calendar, entered Vacheron Constantin’s collections in the early 1940s and became one of its signature complications from the mid-20th century onward. Here it is driven by Caliber 2460 QCL/1, a self-winding movement of 308 parts and 27 jewels running at 4 Hz with a 40-hour power reserve. It bears the Hallmark of Geneva, and its precision moon phase needs adjusting only once every 122 years. The steel case measures 40mm by 11.6mm, and, like the Self-Winding, it is water-resistant to 30 meters.

Selmoni frames the redesign as part of a habit rather than a break. “Because we humans live in a world of myriad and constantly changing visual references, our ‘eye’ also evolves over time and Vacheron Constantin is no exception,” he says, pointing to the Maison’s motto, “Do better if possible, and that is always possible.” The evolution of these Fiftysix designs, he adds, “is a perfect example.”

The two references are the first chapter. Vacheron Constantin says the new aesthetic will extend to other Fiftysix models, along with a wider range of strap options, following earlier additions such as the pink gold Fiftysix Self-Winding with a black dial introduced in 2024. As for the Vacheron Constantin Fiftysix price, the Self-Winding Ref. 4600E/000A-H177 is listed at $14,300 and the Complete Calendar Ref. 4000E/000A-H178 at $33,900.

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Adrienne Faurote

Editor in Chief · Haute Time

As a former New Yorker, now a “Miamian,” Adrienne Faurote joined Haute Living in August of 2021. She currently serves as the Haute Media Group Editor-in-Chief, overseeing all editorial platforms within the Haute Media Group while also maintaining her role as Fashion, Jewelry & Watch Director. Prior to her position at Haute Living, Faurote was the Market Editor at Marie Claire Magazine US, amassing over ten years in the industry, becoming an authoritative voice in all things fashion, jewelry, and watches.