Top 15 Facts About Vacheron Constantin – Interesting Things to Know
Vacheron Constantin is one of the most iconic and respected luxury watchmakers in the world. Vacheron Constantin is synonymous with Haute horology and the art of fine watchmaking and craftsmanship. It is revered for its focus on complicated mechanisms and for its utmost attention to detail.
In this article, we are taking a closer look at some of the most interesting facts about Vacheron Constantin, its history, and its watches.
Interesting facts about Vacheron Constantin
1. Vacheron Constantin is the oldest watch brand with continuous production
Did you know that Vacheron Constantin is the oldest watch brand in the world with uninterrupted production? Yes, there are several watch brands today that are older than Vacheron Constantin but their history includes times when they didn’t produce any watches or were simply out of business for a period. Vacheron Constantin’s production has been uninterrupted ever since it was founded which is a serious accomplishment considering the fact that the company was launched in 1755.
The company was founded by the 24-year-old master watchmaker Jean-Marc Vacheron. He opened up his first workshop in Geneva, Switzerland
2. Vacheron Constantin created a movement with 514 components
Vacheron Constantin is known for its complicated, Haute horology timepieces. The company puts a lot of focus on the art of fine watchmaking which has led to the creation of numerous highly complicated and extremely complex timepieces. One of which is the Celestia Astronomical grand complication 3600 which is powered by the caliber 3600, a mechanical hand-wound movement that features a staggering 23 complications. The watch has three different timezones displayed which are all driven by three dedicated gear trains.
The power reserve of this movement is an impressive three weeks which is an impressive feat on its own.
The caliber consists of a total of 514 components and to make it even more impressive, it measures only 8.7mm thick. The movement was awarded the Mechanical Exception Watch Prize by The Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève for its extraordinary achievement of this movement.
3. The company changed its name to ”Vacheron & Constantin in 1819
Today, we know the company as ”Vacheron Constantin”. The name is a combination of the last name of the founder Jean-Marc Vacheron and Francois Constantin. The latter became a partner of the company in 1819 which led to the change of name to ”Vacheron & Constantin”. Prior to this, the company was simply named ”Vacheron”.
4. Vacheron created the first anti-magnetic watch in 1885
In 1862, the company started to experiment with new technologies in order to make its timepieces more resistant to magnetism. As you know, magnetism can be a huge issue for mechanical watches and so Vacheron Constantin started to look for solutions to this issue. The result was that in 1885, the company created the first anti-magnetic watch. This watch proved that it was able to resist magnetic fields.
5. Vacheron Constantin introduced its cross-logo in 1877
The logo of Vacheron Constantin is the so-called Maltese cross. Today, this logo is synonymous with the company but it was not introduced until 1887. The same year, the company changed its name again to “Vacheron & Constantin, Fabricants, Geneve”.
6. Vacheron Constantin opened up its first boutique in Geneva in 1906
The first store that the company ever opened was in 1906. The boutique was opened in Geneva, Switzerland. That boutique is now situated on Quai de l’Ile.
7. Vacheron Created the world’s most expensive wristwatch
Vacheron is synonymous with fine watchmaking, craftsmanship, and uncompromising attention to detail. This naturally also comes at a price. Accordingly, Vacheron Created the world’s most expensive wristwatch at the time in 1979 called Kallista. The watch had 118 diamonds on it and had an initial price of $5 million.
8. Vacheron Constantin produces about 20,000 watches every year
Compared to a lot of the other large Swiss watch brands, Vacheron Constantin has a relatively small production. This explains why the company is not as well-known as brands like Omega and Rolex, for example.
When you focus on making Haute Horlogerie timepieces, most of which are done by hand, production takes time and the capacity is limited. This is exactly how the company wants it.
The result is that Vacheron Constantin ”only” produces between 20,000 and 25,000 timepieces per year. This is of course a lot, but compared to Rolex’s 800,000 to 1,000,000 watches per year, it’s a drop in the ocean.
9. Vacheron Constantin created the most complicated wristwatch in 2005 with 834 parts
In 2005, Vacheron Constantin created the most complicated wristwatch which contains a total of 834 parts. Just imagine the complexity for a watchmaker of manufacturing and assembling a timepiece with that many parts.
The watch was the Tour de I’lle and had 16 complications. To reflect the extraordinary difficulty of developing and manufacturing this timepiece, it was priced at over $1 million.
10. Vacheron Constantin has been owned by the Richemont group since 1996
For a long time in the brand’s history, the company was privately owned. But in 1996, it was acquired by Richemont and has been a Subsidiary of the group ever since. Today, most of the Swiss luxury watch brands have been acquired by larger groups, but there are still a few private or family-owned companies left.
11. The motto of the company is Do better if possible, and that is always possible
The company’s motto is “Faire mieux si possible, ce qui est toujours possible ” which is translated to ”Do better if possible, and that is always possible)”.
The first time that this motto appeared was in a letter from François Constantin to Jacques-Barthélémy. The letter dates back to July 5, 1819, and it has been the motto of the company ever since.
12. The Overseas was launched in 1996
It’s safe to say that the Vacheron Constantin Overseas is the most iconic and popular model that the company has ever created. The model was first introduced in 1996 and was the company’s response to the growing trend of stainless steel sports watches with integrated bracelets that started to appear during the quartz crisis by some manufacturers (including the Nautilus from Patek Philippe and the Royal Oak from Audemars Piguet).
The Overseas was meant to be a high-end, Haute Horlogerie sports series that combines sportiness with exceptional finish and movements created with superb craftsmanship.
The Overseas launched in 1996 was not actually the first of its kind from Vacheron Constantin. Similar to other manufacturers (including the two mentioned), Vacheron Constantin also created a luxury sports watch with an integrated bracelet during the quartz crisis, specifically in 1977. This was reference 222, designed by the 23-year-old designer named Jorg Hysek.
The Overseas that was launched in 1996 continued to build on the style, design, and purpose of ref 222.
13 .The earliest known wristwatch from Vacheron Constantin is a pocket watch from 1755
The earliest known timepiece from Vacheron Constantin dates back to 1755 and is signed with the founder’s name, Jean-Marc Vacheron. It is a classic and beautiful silver pocket watch.
14. The company earned its first Hallmark of Geneva label in 1901
Today, many Vacheron Constantin watches are accompanied by the hallmark of Geneva, also known as the “Geneva Seal”, which is a seal reflecting top-quality movements. Vacheron Constantin first earned the Hallmark of Geneva label in 1901. The purpose of this hallmark is to protect consumers and Genevese watchmakers and their art, thus allowing them to distinguish themselves from competitors in other countries. The hallmark also helped protect the Genevese market against counterfeiting which was becoming a big problem.
Originally, Geneva’s premier watchmaking school, the École d’Horlogerie, was set to inspect watches seeking this prestigious seal of approval to uphold high standards.
15. Vacheron Constantin has created numerous custom watches for prominent individuals
Vacheron Constantin has for a long time offered its clients the opportunity to design custom watches for those with particular tastes and those who want something truly unique and extraordinary. This is a service that Vacheron Constantin still offers today, and throughout the company’s history, it has made such one-off timepieces for numerous prominent individuals.
One of these includes an engraved bracelet watch in 1916 with a miniature baguette movement, specifically made for the Maharaja of Patiala.
Another such timepiece is a bejeweled, highly complicated pocket watch with 14 complications for King Farouk of Egypt in 1946. And last but not least, a chiming pocket watch for James Ward Packard, a pioneering auto manufacturer in 1918.
