The Holy Trinity of watch brands: Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet and Vacheron Constantin.

Far less understood than either of its respected compatriots, Vacheron Constantin has a legacy of producing some of the very finest haute horlogerie complications in history — and some of the loveliest.

Sports watches came later to VC, as pressure from the new “luxury sport watch” category introduced in the early 1970s forced the storied maison to evolve. This piece, however, stands as a holdover of the classic watchmaking of Vacheron's historical era.

A Reference 43031, this 36mm piece dates to the 80s, and represents one of the best values on the vintage market. A platinum perpetual calendar with an integrated, platinum bracelet and signed locking clasp, manufacturing a watch like this today would undoubtedly cost twice what this piece trades for. Perfectly sized, complicated, and elegant, this watch has the fundamentals to be an ideal complicated everyday watch.

A subtle textured dial displays the perpetual calendar functionalities in the classic 3 register display, and paired to its lovely integrated bracelet, this piece is the ideal intersection of complicated watchmaking, and elegant jewelry-like refinement.

If you're on the hunt for an ideal complicated wristwatch from one of the master of complicated wristwatch production, this piece is an incredible--- and rare-- classic.