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The history of Vacheron Constantin, the oldest brand of the Holy Trinity

The history of Vacheron Constantin, the oldest brand of the Holy Trinity

Buffy Acacia

Even from the name alone, Vacheron Constantin feels like it’s been around forever. As a member of the ‘Holy Trinity’ alongside Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet, it has thoroughly cemented itself as one of the most important and coveted watchmakers on the planet. It’s also one of the oldest brands still in existence, especially if you consider its uninterrupted history. Along the way, Vacheron Constantin has faced much hardship, invented essential technologies, and built a visual style unparalleled by other brands. Let’s dive into the history of the brand, and why it’s so beloved by watch enthusiasts.

The start of a family dynasty

Geneva 1740 Jean Marc Vacheron
Jean-Marc Vacheron and a copper engraving of Geneva from 1740.

Jean-Marc Vacheron was only 24 years old when he founded his company in Geneva, Switzerland, but hiring an apprentice in 1755 marked the official start of the Vacheron family dynasty. Not much is known of him, other than that he was the son of a weaver and certainly a talented watchmaker. He was also a friend to Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Voltaire, two of the most radical minds throughout the Age of Enlightenment. Jean-Marc Vacheron did produce a few watches under his own name, but mostly manufactured parts for other companies. It was Jean-Marc’s second-born son Abraham who studied watchmaking and took over the family business 30 years later in 1785, overseeing the company’s earliest watches with complications, which were some of the first pocket watch complications in the world.

JM Vacheron watch 1755
The first known watch made by Jean-Marc Vacheron, c.1755.

Between 1798 and 1813, Geneva was annexed by France as a result of Napoleon Bonaparte’s French Revolution. It was definitely a messy time, but Vacheron weathered the storm. Another generation passed the business into the hands of Jacques-Barthélémi Vacheron in 1810, who began exporting watches to France and Italy, securing an international presence. His leadership saw a boom in complicated watches too, including musical repeaters and calendars. But Jacques-Barthélémi Vacheron’s greatest achievement actually had little to do with his own influence, and more to do with hiring François Constantin. It was in a letter from Constantin to Vacheron that the company’s motto was first penned: Do better if possible, and that is always possible.

International growth under François Constantin and the invention of watch calibres

Francois Constantin portrait

François Constantin quickly became integral to the company, essentially using the skills of a travelling salesman to grow it, and his surname was added to the company’s title. While the rapid industrialisation of Europe and America in the 19th century meant many companies were finding faster and cheaper methods of producing watch parts, the quality of Vacheron & Constantin watches remained at a luxury standard fit for aristocracy and royalty. Constantin established a brand presence in the United States, and the fast-growing sector of wealthy landowners were added to Vacheron & Constantin’s client list.

Pantograph vacheron constantin
Georges-Auguste Leschot’s pantograph.

In 1839, there was another significant addition to Vacheron & Constantin’s staff. Georges-Auguste Leschot was hired as the Technical Director, contributing not just to the watches themselves but also to the manufacturing process. His invention, the pantograph – which allowed movement components to be reliably produced with identical dimensions – changed the watchmaking industry forever. In essence, this changed each watch movement from being a unique and handmade object into the calibres with which we’re familiar today. The pantograph was recognised by the Arts Society with the Prix de la Rive in 1844, a prize for “the discovery of the most value to the Genevan industry.”

A second century of excellence

faberge third imperial egg vacheron constantin
A diagram of Fabergé’s Third Imperial Egg featuring a watch from Vacheron & Constantin. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons by K. D. SchroederCC-BY-SA 4.0.

The latter half of the 19th century was when Vacheron Constantin’s artistry and engineering prowess were fully allowed to shine. François Constantin and Jacques-Barthélémi Vacheron passed away in 1854 and 1863 respectively, but the groundwork had been completed, and many rewards were to be reaped. As various pairs of heirs took the reigns of the company in the following decades, Vacheron & Constantin watches received awards in observatory chronometer trials, the Maltese Cross became the official symbol of the company due to its similarity to a mainspring barrel component, and one of its watches was even included within Fabergé’s Third Imperial Egg in 1887. That same year, Vacheron & Constantin was restructured into a joint-stock company, and it won a gold medal at the Swiss National Exhibition for its achievements.

Vacheron Constantin map of italy enamel
A Vacheron & Constantin pocket watch enamelled with a map of Italy, c.1824.

Enamelled cases with glamorous detail, guilloché dials with hand-turned patterns, accurate movements with lavish complications, and elaborate ladies’ watches with sculptural bracelets were all things you could expect to see from Vacheron & Constantin in those days. Eventually, the first boutique was opened in Geneva on August 1st, 1906. Still receiving orders from the ruling class all across the world, the company began to approach a reality in which any individual could purchase one of its watches, so long as they had the funds. A particularly decadent example from 1918 was purchased by James Ward Packard, boasting a guilloché and hand-engraved 20k gold case, plus a quarter repeater complication.

Vacheron constantin packard and 1921 original
The repeating pocket watch of James Ward Packard (left) and Vacheron & Constantin’s driving watch from 1921 (right).

Vacheron & Constantin had made some watches for the wrist throughout the 19th century, but the 20th century was when wristwatches truly took off. In 1921, the brand’s first driving watch was released with an angled dial for ease of reading without turning your wrist, and this was revived in 2008 as the Vacheron Constantin Historiques American 1921. That was a rare reference though, and the pocket watch made for King Fuad I of Egypt in 1929 with a perpetual calendar, chronograph, and minute repeater was still more representative of Vacheron & Constantin’s high-end output as a whole.

The final Constantin in charge, and creativity under hardship

Vacheron Constantin 4293 triple calendar
The Vacheron & Constantin reference 4293 from 1943 features a pink gold case and triple calendar complication.

With the 1930s came the Great Depression, and while the company was successful enough to survive the slump, it definitely took a hit. Charles Constantin, a descendant of François, was the final member of either the Constantins or the Vacherons to run the company. Georges Ketterer acquired the company, passing it on to his son Jacques upon his death in 1969. But rewinding slightly, the 1940s and ‘50s were fantastic decades for the brand creatively. With a newfound freedom in wristwatch design, as yet unburdened by limiting stereotypes, Vacheron & Constantin produced some phenomenal dress watches, occasionally with complications. The teardrop lugs, sometimes referred to as Cornes de Vache, were a staple look that elevated its cases into the realms of royalty. In 1955, the calibre 1003 became its thinnest manually-wound calibre at just 1.64mm tall.

Vacheron Constantin Diplôme du Prestige de la France
The 1972 Diplôme du Prestige de la France-winning Vacheron Constantin, displaying the Maltese Cross logo and simplified brand name.

Upon the eve of the quartz crisis, the business under the control of Jacques Ketterer officially changed its name to Vacheron Constantin in 1970, simply omitting the ‘&’ for a cleaner appearance. The Maltese Cross made its way onto the dial too, strengthening brand identity and recognisability. As with most Swiss luxury watchmakers in the ‘70s, Vacheron Constantin had to branch out to remain exciting. An asymmetrical curved case requiring an oval movement received a Diplôme du Prestige de la France in 1972, proving that while sales may have dropped, its creativity hadn’t gone anywhere. However, there was a watch on the horizon that would change everything.

The legacy of the 222 and Vacheron Constantin’s modern ownership

The Vacheron Constantin 222
The Vacheron Constantin 222 from 1977 in stainless steel.

Most watch enthusiasts are familiar with the story of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, which debuted in 1972 from the mind of designer Gérald Genta and shocked the world by releasing a steel sports watch at a luxury price. Vacheron Constantin took some time to respond – dabbling with a rectangular riff on the Patek Philippe Nautilus with their Chronometer Royal ref. 2215 – but their contribution to the emerging luxury sports watch category was worth the wait. Celebrating the 222nd anniversary of the brand in 1977, the Vacheron Constantin 222 was an instant standout. It was a sports watch with an integrated bracelet, but the hexagonal bracelet links and gear-tooth bezel made it stand out from the Royal Oak and any of the other subsequent Genta spin-offs. Jörg Hysek, the 222’s designer, was only 23 upon its release, and went on to create more iconic watches like the Breguet Marine and the Seiko Arctura.

Vacheron Constantin tribute to mercator 1994
The Vacheron Constantin Tribute to Mercator, 1994.

While watches like the 222 kept Vacheron Constantin alive, the same could not be said for Jacques Ketterer who passed away in 1987. With no further heirs available to take the reins, Sheik Ahmed Zaki Yamani, former Oil Minister of Saudi Arabia, became the majority owner. During that time, Vacheron Constantin released the calibre 1755, which was the world’s thinnest minute repeater at 3.28mm thick in 1992. Artistic projects were also still very much thriving, such as the tribute to Mercator watch with retrograde hours and minutes in the shape of navigator’s dividers. That style is still produced today within the Metiers d’Art collection.

Vacheron Constantin under Richemont, from 1996 to now

Vacheron constantin overseas evolution
The first Vacheron Constantin Overseas from 1996 (left) and a modern Vacheron Constantin Overseas Dual Time (right).

1996 saw Vacheron Constantin wholly acquired by luxury conglomerate Richemont, who set to work on revitalising the brand. Its first major release was the Overseas collection, reinventing the style of the 222 into something chunky, aggressive, and undeniably edgy. Watches like the Lady Kalla kept up Vacheron Constantin’s reputation within the realms of high jewellery, as extravagant diamond setting is not an easy skill to master for the average watchmaker. 2004 welcomed the Patrimony collection, which channelled the classicism and simplicity of Vacheron Constantin’s watches from the late ‘50s and ‘60s. It was also the year that Vacheron Constantin’s manufacture in Plan-les-Ouates opened, the very building itself designed to look like a sliced Maltese Cross.

vacheron constantin les cabinotiers berkley grand complication
The Vacheron Constantin Les Cabinotiers Berkley Grand Complication, 2024.

Today, Vacheron Constantin holds the perfect balance between contemporary flair and embracing its heritage. Even though a watch like the green-dialled Overseas is undeniably trendy, it’s still produced with the same care as if it were being made for a 19th-century king. Then, there are watches like the Les Cabinotiers Berkley Grand Complication released last year – currently the most complicated watch in the world, boasting a whopping 63 separate complications – proving that the company has lost none of its inventive spirit or technical excellence. If it’s complications you’re after, then the Vacheron Constantin Ultimate Reference 57260 pocket watch from 2015 ups the count to 57. Whether you’re saving up for a simple Patrimony, splashing the cash for a Traditionnelle tourbillon, or important enough for a bespoke Les Cabinotiers, you’re in safe hands with the world’s oldest uninterrupted watch brand.