The New Vacheron Constantin 1921: The Dial isn't the Only Thing that has Changed!

Added: 2026-05-25

[00:00:16]Hello watch lovers around the world. I hope you're all doing well. Today we're back at Vashron Constantine to go hands-on with the newly designed Pink Gold 1921.

[00:00:29]The 1921 is my all-time favorite watch, and I'm super excited to see how the new one stacks up against mine. The dial has a few subtle changes which make a massive impact. And not known to many, the dial isn't the only thing that has changed. Stick around to find out what other sneaky upgrade VC has input into this new model.

[00:00:55]Some refreshments before the big reveal.

[00:00:58]I got to say, I love these VC styled coasters.

[00:01:02]And here they are, the newly designed Pink Gold 1921 in 36.5 and 40 mm versions. And today we'll be mainly focusing on the 36.5.

[00:01:16]A quick history lesson on the 1921.

[00:01:19]It actually has two origin stories. The first being the preachers's watch, which is most likely the true one. A famous reverend wore this watch while preaching and giving sermons. He could discreetly look at the time without bending his wrist to time his presentations.

[00:01:39]The second origin story is the driver's watch and it's definitely the cooler of the two. In the 20th century, steering wheels were much larger. People would hold the wheel at 4 and 8 with their wrist facing inwards. They would wear the VC on the inside of the wrist so they could quickly glance at the time without taking their eyes off the road.

[00:02:03]Firstly, let's cover the specs. The watch comes in at a case size of 36.5, a thickness of 7.4, lugto lug of 42, and a lug width of 18 mm. The case is made entirely of pink gold with a sapphire crystal on the front and back. The case has 30 m of water resistance and the watch is powered by the same manual wind movement as the existing models. The movement has 65 hours of power reserve.

[00:02:37]Having a closer look at the dial, the thing that stands out first is the grained finish. This time around, the grainy finish is more pronounced and it looks snowy white in color. It kind of reminds me of Christmas. The small seconds at 3:00 has a circular snailed finish. All the hands and numerals have changed to a blue color tone. The side profile is beautifully curved and elegantly slim. The pushpull crown is located at the 2:00 position. And the watch is complemented with a color matching blue leather strap with a pin buckle. Overall, an absolute banger.

[00:03:21]And on my 16.5 cm wrist, it wears amazing. As you can see, the strap is a bit short for my wrist, but the amazing guys at Vashron advised I can easily swap it out for a longer size.

[00:03:36]36.5 mm might read small on paper, but don't be fooled. Due to the cushion case shape of the watch, it actually wears larger than the traditional circular watch. And having a more white colored dial, it gives the visual illusion of wearing larger as well.

[00:03:57]For those of you out there who have bigger wrists or just prefer bigger watches, here's some footage of the 40 mm version. It comes in at a case size of 40 mm, a thickness of 8, lugto lug of 46, and a lug width of 22 mm.

[00:04:17]A bit too large for my taste, but I think it would be great for someone who has a larger wrist.

[00:04:40]As I mentioned earlier, the dial is not the only thing that's changed. VC has made a subtle but meaningful change to the movement. Those of you who own a 1921 will know that due to the weak click spring, when winding the watch, you don't let go of the crown. But now VC has updated the click spring. You can actually wind it in the traditional way.

[00:05:05]Let's have a closer look. This is my VC.

[00:05:10]As you can see, when it's being winded, the click spring goes back to its original position.

[00:05:16]But with the new model, the click spring stays in position.

[00:05:21]Amazing stuff.

[00:05:25]But besides the movement, how do these two stack up against each other? My watch came with two straps, a brown and a red. The brown is targeted for the males, while the red was for the females. and the straps length were made accordingly. With the new version, it only comes with the one blue strap and the strap length is slightly shorter than mine.

[00:05:52]Style-wise, I think mine is timeless and it will stand the test of time. It's quite safe and conservative in its color styling, but this new one looks much more modern and contemporary. The blue tones are very bold and the heavy grain white dial definitely stands out. I really like it, but my only worry is will it stand the test of time 5 or 10 years down the track.

[00:06:21]Overall, I think they are both amazing in their own ways. There's enough differentiation in the dials to make them stand on their own. Maybe it's possible to have both in a collection.

[00:06:34]What do you guys think? Which one do you prefer?

[00:06:38]Another interesting thing I noticed on the dial is for the 40 mm version, the circle on the minute hand perfectly aligns with the small seconds at 3:00, but for the 36 mm version, it doesn't.

[00:06:54]Something for the OCD people to keep in mind when deciding between the two.

[00:06:59]So, after my hands-on with the new VC1 1921, I'm definitely impressed. The new color tones give the watch a modern touch. I think it makes the watch more versatile. It wouldn't look out of place in more casual attire. Not that it's ever stopped me wearing mine with t-shirt and jeans. I actually did the quick maths if it was worthwhile selling mine and changing to this one, and I can tell you it's definitely not. I'll be taking a huge loss.

[00:07:34]Thanks for watching. I hope you liked my hands-on with the new VC 1921.

[00:07:40]So, what are your thoughts on this piece? I would love to hear it. As always, if you enjoy my content and you want to stay upto-date with the latest watch releases, please like and subscribe. Until next time, happy watch collecting.