THE ESSENTIALS
MAKE: VACHERON CONSTANTIN
MODEL: 7590P
YEAR: 1974
BOX/PAPERS: YES/YES
CASE DIAMETER: 32mm
CASE MATERIAL: 18K YELLOW GOLD
BRACELET MATERIAL: LEATHER
MOVEMENT: MANUAL WIND
Often overlooked due to the massive marketing budgets of Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet, Vacheron Constantin has long been the quiet sibling of the big "Swiss Three" — despite being the oldest watchmaker in continuous operation since its founding in 1755.
While recent attention on VC has centred on its sports models like the Overseas (much like its two older brothers), the brand’s true legacy lies in over 270 years of exceptional craftsmanship, technical innovation, and timeless elegance. A founding house of Haute Horlogerie, Vacheron Constantin is celebrated for its refined complications — from perpetual calendars and minute repeaters to ultra-thin movements like the Calibre 1003.
Calibre 1003 was first introduced in 1955 to mark Vacheron Constantin's bicentenary. Based on the JLC Cal. 849, it measures an astonishing 1.64 mm in thickness, making it the thinnest mechanical movement of its time. So refined was its design that it remained in use into the modern era, most notably in the Historiques Ultra-Fine 1955.
Between the 1950s and 1970s, VC released a series of elegant dress watches based on this movement, featuring a variety of case shapes, dial styles, and bracelet configurations. The Ref. 7590 was introduced with a tonneau-shaped case in either yellow or white gold. While most 7590s came with simple yet elegant white or champagne dials with baton or Roman numerals, a very small number were fitted with exotic stone dials, such as tiger’s eye, jade, or lapis lazuli.
The present example features an 18K yellow gold case and a stunning onyx dial — and what a watch it is. The dial is completely free of imperfections or cracks. The gold Vacheron Constantin logo at 12 o'clock and the "Swiss" marking at 6 o'clock are the only elements on an otherwise minimalist display. The case, too, has been exceptionally well preserved.
Based on our research, we have found no duplicate stone-dial Ref. 7590s, making this watch likely a piece unique.
It runs perfectly at +5 s/d, 255 amplitude, and a beat error of just 0.2 ms. It comes with its original box, tag, guarantee papers, a pair of unworn straps, and an Extract from the Archives confirming its original manufacturing date of 1974.