Vacheron Constantin Cornes de Vache for Hodinkee

The original Cornes de Vache (translates as cow horn) from 1955 combined two technical innovations: Vacheron’s first water-resistant and antimagnetic chronograph. Those technical steps have been largely forgetten by most, but what has stayed front of mind was the design—featuring some of the most sculptural lugs ever on a case. In 2017, Hodinkee released their fourth limited edition with Vacheron Constantin which would debut another first. This was the first Cornes de Vache to be made in steel where all of the prior 36 vintage examples were precious metal (26 in yellow gold, 8 in pink, and 2 in platinum).  As a nod to the first production, just 36 were made with this dark grey dial in the metal which never saw light of day prior.

Photography of this CdV comes via a prior sale by A Collected Man, example in market linked below. 

Where the Cornes de Vache made en masse featured a tachymetre, the Hodinkee nodded to vintage with a pulsations scale. Notably, none of the dials on the original 36 had a pulsations scale, though the alteration was common on other vintage chronograph peers of the 50s. So this modern interpretation brought two things which never did, but crucially easily could have existed back then. While the Hodinkee CdV is a thoroughly contemporary watch, with so many vintage nods and a 2310 Lemania ébauche underneath, well, it also kind of isn’t.

The cow horn lug design has no known origin, no single name attributed to it. That said, Charles Dubois & Cie of Le Locle, has their hammerhead poinçon de maître (mark #170) inside 6087 casebacks. Dubois also supplied LeCoultre with similar 35mm cases differing only in caseback facets. Whoever was inspired enough to shape this lug, its design has stood the test of time. This is one of the better-looking chronographs of recent decades and the rarity is real.

This example comes from a private party out of Thailand on Chrono24, with its full set.