Watch Paparazzi

Basketball player Kyle Kuzma spotted wearing Vacheron Constantin

Kyle Kuzma, the Milwaukee Bucks power forward, was recently photographed at a speaking engagement wearing a Vacheron Constantin Historiques 222 in stainless steel. The watch, with its distinctive matte blue dial and tonneau case, represents one of the most compelling heritage revivals in modern watchmaking—a second life for a design that struggled to find an audience in its original era.

The Historiques 222 Ref. 4200H/222A-B934 houses Vacheron Constantin's Calibre 2455 automatic movement, a self-winding mechanism delivering approximately 40 hours of power reserve. The case measures 41mm in diameter and sits just under 11mm in thickness, proportions that feel contemporary without overshadowing the watch's retro proportions. The stainless steel construction provides everyday durability, while the matte blue dial—a finish that resists glare and evokes the original 1977 aesthetic—pairs with applied hour markers in a minimalist layout. Water resistance reaches 30 metres, suitable for splash protection but not swimming or diving. The tonneau case shape, virtually absent from modern sport watch design, remains the 222's most distinctive calling card.

The original 1977 Vacheron Constantin 222 was conceived to commemorate the brand's 222nd anniversary, a numerological flourish typical of haute horlogerie marketing. Designer Jörg Hysek's geometric case architecture, however, found limited commercial appeal during the quartz crisis. Fewer than 800 examples of the "Jumbo" model across all metals were produced before discontinuation around 1985, rendering the original 222 genuinely scarce. The Historiques line's success—buoyed by the delayed recognition of the Overseas sports watch family—finally vindicated Hysek's vision. Vacheron Constantin released the 222 revival exclusively in 18k yellow gold in 2022; the stainless steel version arrived in early 2025, broadening accessibility without diluting exclusivity.

Kuzma's choice signals a shift in athlete watch taste toward historical depth and design risk. The 222 demands a wearer willing to embrace geometric abstraction over the safe legibility of a sports dial. The stainless steel variant, produced in limited quantities since its 2025 introduction, occupies a sweet spot between collectibility and availability—neither a sold-out one-off nor a mass-market reissue.

Retail pricing for the stainless steel Historiques 222 Ref. 4200H/222A-B934 sits around $38,500 USD at authorised dealers, where waitlist conditions vary by region. Grey-market examples typically command $42,000–$48,000 USD depending on condition and age within production, reflecting the reference's emerging status among contemporary collectors who value historical authenticity over brand saturation.