This year, the Genevan watchmaker Vacheron Constantin is celebrating its 270th anniversary. That is a large number of birthdays, even in an industry rife with historical entities. Think of a watchmaker, any of the most famous that comes to mind, and it was probably founded sometime in the 1800s. Vacheron Constantin was established in 1755, meaning that it predates many of its fellows by decades, or even a century or more. It is rarefied territory, one of the oldest names in the business, and depending on how one interprets the semantics, it may even be able to claim that it is the oldest continually operating watch manufacture in the world.
View some photos from the brand’s past
It began, as it so often does, with one remarkable man. Jean-Marc Vacheron, already a master watchmaker at age 24, signed on his first apprentice on 17 September 1755—marking the start of the business. The company and its successes were passed on to subsequent generations, and it was while Jean-Marc’s grandson, Jacques-Barthélémi Vacheron, was in charge that he met a certain entrepreneur known as François Constantin. The two would become business partners, and the company would be renamed ‘Vacheron et Constantin’. In 1819, Constantin wrote a letter to Vacheron that included the phrase “do better if possible, and that is always possible”, which has since become the company’s motto.
Vacheron Constantin’s history is rife with technical and artistic prestige. Early pocket watches already displayed a mastery of decorative techniques, and the maison was an active participant in chronometer trials during the 19th century, creating watches lauded for precision and reliability. With such a long heritage, all aspects of classical watchmaking have been explored by the maison, from delicately, finely designed ladies’ and dress watches to highly complicated mechanical feats. Its unbroken lineage serves it well even today—Vacheron Constantin still resides in the upper echelon of today’s watch manufactures.
J M Vacheron pocket watch (1755)
This silver watch from 1755 is the only known timepiece that bears the signature of Jean-Marc Vacheron, the founder of the company that would become Vacheron Constantin. The balance cock is meticulously decorated with arabesques.
Italy pocket watch (1824)
An early example of the maison’s dedication to the fine watchmaking crafts is found in this 1824 pocket watch, which has a gold case entirely decorated via engraving and enamelling, depicting a map of Italy.
Chronomètre Royal (1907)
A consistent performer in chronometric trials, Vacheron Constantin’s trademarked Chronomètre Royal watches were renowned for their durability, reliability and precision, and noted for their performance in climates that were notoriously bad for timepieces.
Maharaja of Patiala ladies’ watch (1916)
This ladies’ watch, commissioned by Sir Bhupinder Singh, Maharaja of Patiala, is one of Vacheron Constantin’s long-established portfolio of exquisitely decorated feminine timepieces. This particular timepiece has a diamond-set platinum construction. It features a rectangular le tuyau movement, which is only 26mm long and 6.5mm thick.
‘Don Pancho’ wristwatch (1940)
This timepiece, dating from 1940, is the first wristwatch to boast a retrograde date display. It was commissioned in 1935, but took four years to develop for the client known as Don Pancho. It also featured a crown at 12 o’clock and a minute repeater.
King Farouk pocket watch (1946)
Commissioned by the Swiss government for Farouk I, King of Egypt from 1936 to 1952, this yellow gold pocket watch is an ultra-complicated one. It features a minute repeater with grande and petite sonnerie functions, a split-seconds chronograph, a perpetual calendar, moonphase indicator, alarm, and two power reserves.
Kallista (1979)
A lavish exemplar of high jewellery watchmaking, the Kallista required 6,000 hours of work, was carved from a one-kilogram gold ingot, and set with 118 diamonds totally 130 carats. ‘Kallista’ means ‘most beautiful’ in Greek, and it took five years to cut and assemble all the diamonds.
Les Cabinotiers – The Berkley Grand Complication (2024)
A powerful statement of the Vacheron Constantin’s continuing technical innovation, the Berkley was unveiled only last year as the world’s most complicated watch. Taking 11 years to develop, it features an incredible 63 horological complications. It also showcases the world’s first Chinese perpetual calendar, which is especially irregular and complex to implement, and will be accurate in this regard until the year 2200.
View more of the watches from the past and present
One of Vacheron Constantin’s most celebrated watches is known simply as the 222. Launched in 1977 to celebrate its 222nd anniversary, it became an icon in its own right. It bears all the hallmarks of the genre: a simple and practical yet elegant wristwatch that could be worn every day from office to ballroom to poolside. And, of course, it was outfitted with an integrated bracelet to match its steel case. The 222 was initially released in a 37mm diameter, had a flat base with fluted bezel, was especially slim at only 7mm, and was water resistant to 120m—a more significant engineering feat during that time. It was produced in limited quantities until 1985.
Then, in 2022—no coincidence there—the maison released the Historiques 222, a faithful yellow gold interpretation of the original.
This year, Vacheron Constantin’s first salvo in celebration of its 270th anniversary is the Historiques 222 in steel with a deep blue dial. Like the gold version, it looks very much like the original 37mm 222, but benefits from a few modern-day upgrades, such as the movement—the in-house Calibre 2455/2 ticks at 4Hz instead of the original’s 2.75Hz, and is visible through the display caseback. It is also adorned with the Poinçon de Genève, or Geneva Seal, which certifies that the movement meets an exacting set of performance and finishing standards. The date window has been moved ever-so-slightly towards the centre of the dial for aesthetic balance, and the clasp has been updated to fit today’s ergonomic expectations.
These updates mean that though the new Historiques 222 in steel has the profile of a vintage watch, its wearer can expect the usability and comfort of a contemporary one—in other words, using it like the original 222 was meant to be used.
