Vacheron Constantin is a watch brand with a tremendously long history of 260 years. The watches with the Maltese Cross as their symbol have a noble atmosphere that only this brand, which has passed through all ages, can produce. In this issue, we introduce the charms of Vacheron Constantin, one of the three oldest watch brands in the world!
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What is Vacheron Constantin?
Vacheron Constantin, the world’s oldest watch brand, has been in business since 1755 without a single interruption up to the present day. Vacheron Constantin has not only a long history, but is also one of the world’s top watch brands in both name and reality, along with Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet. From simple dress watches to luxurious sports models, they lead the watchmaking world with their collections that make the most of their own characteristics.
How to read ” Vacheron Constantin
At first glance, the Vacheron Constantin brand name may seem confusing. The French reading, ” Vacheron Constantin ” is currently the most common. However, in English and German readings, the pronunciation of “Vacheron Constantin” is close to that of “Vacheron Constantin,” and the name was previously introduced in Japanese watch magazines as ” Vacheron Constantin. After joining the Richemont Group, the name was changed to ” Vacheron Constantin ” in Japan around 2002, including on official websites and in watch magazines.
History of Vacheron Constantin
Vacheron Constantin was founded in Geneva at a time when the watchmaking industry was in its infancy.
On September 17, 1755, a small watch workshop was opened in Geneva at a time when the watchmaking industry was booming. It is said that the pocket watch created that year by Jean-Marc Vacheron, a watchmaker who was 24 years old at the time, was equipped with a beautiful movement decorated with arabesques. Aesthetically pleasing and artistic, Vacheron Constantin’s watchmaking has been firmly rooted since that time 260 years ago.
Founder Jean-Marc Vacheron
Three great men helped turn Vacheron Constantin into a leading brand
Vacheron’s skill and will were passed on to his son, Abraham, and then to his grandson, Jacques Barthelemy. Mr. Barthelemy, with his subtle yet daring ideas and his talent for creating complicated watches such as minute repeaters, is said to have laid the foundation of Vacheron Constantin as we know it today. After successfully developing a sales channel from Switzerland to France and then to Italy, he met an outstanding salesman, Francois Constantin, who was fascinated by Barthélemy’s skills. Mr. Barthélemy was so impressed with his skills that he immediately made Mr. Constantin a partner in the company, and ” Vacheron & Constantin ” was born. Mr. Constantin traveled the world, from France, Italy, the U.S., Mexico, Cuba, and Asia. With his exceptional business acumen, he quickly transformed Vacheron Constantin into an international brand.
Georges-Auguste Leschot, a mechanical engineer who joined the company in 1839, invented the “pantograph” and other machine tools that improved manufacturing efficiency and quality. Vacheron Constantin’s founders, François Constantin and Georges-Auguste Leschot, are credited as the three key figures in the growth of Vacheron Constantin into one of the world’s most prestigious watch houses.
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From left, Jean-Marc Vacheron, co-owner François Constantin and watchmaker Georges-Auguste Leschot
The Quai de l’Ile boutique continues to this day
In 1875, Vacheron Constantin opened a new building on the banks of the Rhone River at Quai de l’Ile, and in 1906, the brand’s first boutique opened on the ground floor of this building. In 1955, on the occasion of its bicentennial, Vacheron Constantin introduced the world’s thinnest mechanical movement, 1.64 mm thick, and in 1970 dropped the “&” from its name to become the current ” Vacheron Constantin “. 260 years later, the brand has remained at the top of the watchmaking industry. The brand, which has been a leader in the watchmaking industry for 260 years, continues to produce collections of the utmost beauty and functionality.
The company building on the Quai de l’Ile, designed by renowned Geneva architect Jacques Elysée Goss. 140 years after its establishment, the building still functions as the main boutique and heritage room, symbolizing the history of the brand.
Vacheron Constantin’s logo “Maltese Cross
The Vacheron Constantin logo, also known as the Malte Cross, was registered as a trademark in 1880. It is said to have been adopted by the Knights of St. John (Knights of Malta), a Christian order of knights, and features eight horns joined by four fan-shaped emblems. Vacheron Constantin adopted the Maltese Cross logo because of the similarity in design of the parts that were once attached to the covers of the barrels. As a symbol embodying the brand’s pride, it is used on the dial, crown, lugs, and other parts of the watch.
A complication watch that is a testament to Vacheron Constantin’s technical prowess
Since 1790, when Vacheron Constantin created the first wall clock with a complication mechanism, it has been refining its technology over its long history. 1884 saw the creation of a double-faced pocket watch with a dial on both the front and back sides, and the first pocket watch with a dial on the front side. One dial was equipped with a perpetual calendar, a highly technical feature.
The first complicated watch. The first complicated clock, with a magnificent engraving and the words “Vacheron A GENEVE” on the back. Wall clocks were fashionable at the time, but those with a calendar function are extremely rare.
In 1929, the Egyptians living in Switzerland created a grand complication watch presented to King Fahd I of Egypt. The pocket watch, combining a chronograph, perpetual calendar, minute repeater, grande and petite sonnerie, was packed with all the technology that was feasible at this time. The watch not only incorporates complications, but also shows the commitment to beauty that has been handed down since the company’s founding, as evidenced by the royal coat of arms painted in enamel on the caseback.
In 2015, exactly 260 years after its founding, Vacheron Constantin unveiled the most complicated pocket watch in its history, the Reference 57260, which took a team of three watchmakers eight years to complete. 57260, which took a team of three watchmakers eight years to complete, incorporates more than 2,800 parts and 57 different complications. The calendar functions alone include seven perpetual calendars, eight Jewish calendars, nine celestial calendars, and a Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) date calendar. All of the mechanisms inside the watch, including the thick, heavy case, have been inspected and certified under the prestigious prestigious Hallmark of Geneva.
Vacheron Constantin’s iconic dress watch ” Patrimony
The Patrimony, Vacheron Constantin’s current signature dress watch, was introduced in 2004 and is available in a wide range of models, from a two-hand model inspired by a 1957 model, to a chic three-hand model, to a complication model with complications that are hard to imagine from the outside. The lineup is wide-ranging.
All models have in common the presence of wedge-shaped hour markers at “3,” “6,” “9,” and “12,” which is the brand’s symbol of Malte registry. This represents the Maltese Cross, the symbol of the brand. Even the most orthodox round watch can be classy at the highest level in the hands of Vacheron Constantin.
The ” Traditionnelle “, a technical complication watch
The ” Traditionnelle ” collection is the most sophisticated in the 260-year history of Vacheron Constantin. This collection features the largest selection of mechanisms, including a grand complication with three major complications (tourbillon, perpetual calendar, and minute repeater), a medium complication model with a world timer, and a self-winding model with two hands and small seconds. The price range is also 3 million yen depending on the model. The price range is also wide, from 3 million yen to over 80 million yen, depending on the model.
Overseas”, a watch with a Vacheron Constantin design on the bezel
The only sports watch collection, first introduced in 1996, is led by a chronograph-equipped model and offers a wide range of models from stainless steel cases to pink gold ones. The models became the reason for the brand’s popularity among a wider range of customers than ever before.
The most popular reason for the popularity of the Overseas is its striking bezel, with its eight bumps and dents representing the Maltese Cross, and the fact that it is also available in pink gold. This design is unique to Vacheron Constantin watches.
Vacheron Constantin’s Manufacture
Vacheron Constantin has two factories, one in Geneva and the other in the Vallée de Joux, where movements are assembled, engraved, and components are finalized in the Geneva headquarters atelier, which was expanded in 2015.
Factory completed on August 9, 2004. The architectural design, which symbolizes the brand by cutting the Maltese Cross in half, was created by Swiss architect Bernard Cumi.
The one in the Vallée de Joux, originally divided into three smaller ateliers, was integrated into the newly completed ” Atelier Vacheron Constantin Vallée de Joux ” in 2013. The new atelier will be equipped with state-of-the-art machine tools for manufacturing parts, chamfering parts, and hand finishing.
All watches meet the criteria of the Hallmark of Geneva
Vacheron Constantin watches produced in these two factories, each of which possesses state-of-the-art technology, are certified under the prestigious Hallmark of Geneva, the pinnacle of quality testing. The rigorous, week-long testing standards for each component of the movement, materials, decorative elements, exterior and case materials, and the failure of any deviation of more than one minute from the indicated time within a seven-day period, far exceed the Swiss Chronometer standards of most prestigious manufacturers. Vacheron Constantin takes every precaution to ensure that all of its watches are certified with the prestigious Hallmark of Geneva.
Discover the classic Vacheron Constantin models
Vacheron Constantin “Patrimony
The ” Patrimony ” is the pinnacle of dress watches. This is an extremely simple two-hand model that does away with even the date display. The hands have been slimmed down to the utmost limit, leaving a large blank space on the dial. The beautiful Maltese Cross is also reflected in the top, bottom, left, and right indexes, and even the small dot indexes are polished to a mirror-like finish, an impeccable quality.
Vacheron Constantin “Traditionnelle Chronograph
A chronograph model from the ” Traditional ” collection, this timepiece is the culmination of the brand’s technical expertise, and its orthodox design of a two-counter chronograph exudes the class and elegance that only Vacheron Constantin can offer. The transparent back of the case allows the wearer to fully appreciate the movement and its complications.
Vacheron Constantin “Overseas Automatic
Vacheron Constantin’s only sports watch collection, “Overseas,” was created based on the concept of “crossing the sea” and is water resistant to 150 meters. The water resistance of 150 meters and the durable stainless steel case make the Overseas an ideal watch for active use. The bezel design, reminiscent of the Maltese Cross, is a magnet for connoisseurs.
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