The starting point in the history of the oldest continuously operating watchmaking house in Switzerland can be considered September 17, 1755: it was on this day that Jean-Marc Vacheron, a 24-year-old watchmaker from Geneva, took his first apprentice under his wing.
To this day, the only evidence of Jean-Marc Vacheron’s craftsmanship is a silver pocket watch bearing the founder’s initials. The watch is equipped with a spindle escapement and graceful gold hands. The masterfully executed balance bridge is decorated with elegant arabesques. The combination of equally high demands on the technical quality and aesthetic execution of the watches will become a distinctive feature of the brand over the years.
In 1785, the management of the watchmaking workshops was taken over by Jean-Marc Vacheron’s son, Abraham (1760-1843), thanks to whose efforts the company continued to develop even in the most difficult times, such as the first years after the French Revolution and the occupation of Geneva by the troops of the French Directory. Following his father’s example, Abraham Vacheron will pass on the family business to his son Jacques-Barthélemy, teaching him all the intricacies of watchmaking.
Under Jacques-Barthélemy Vacheron, the company’s models become even more complex: for example, musical watches with two melodies appear in the company’s arsenal. At this time, the watch house exports its models to France and Italy, and Jacques-Barthélemy’s clients include future monarchs of Europe.
The brainchild of Jean-Marc Vacheron received its modern name in 1819, when Jacques-Barthélemy signed a cooperation agreement with François Constantin. The company changed its name to Vacheron & Constantin (the ampersand from the name would disappear only in 1970).
In the first half of the 19th century, the company produced models that could still claim to be watch hits today. Thus, in 1824, a pocket watch in a pink gold case was born, the highlight of which was the indication of the hours using a window in the upper part of the dial. At the same time, the minutes on the watch dial were indicated by a large central hand. In the same year, the craftsmen of the manufacture surprised the public with painted pocket watches made of yellow gold, on the case of which a map of Italy was depicted in blue and light blue enamel.
A separate chapter in the history of the brand is associated with the name of the mechanic-developer Georges-Auguste Leschot, who was accepted into the company in 1839. This man will become the author of a number of devices that simplified the watch production process. In particular, he is credited with the authorship of the famous pantograph: the tool was intended for drilling and centering holes in the bridges and plate of the mechanism, which allowed the company to manufacture interchangeable parts and thereby improve the quality of the watches produced. In 1844, Leschot’s invention was awarded the Gold Medal of the Society of Arts as “the most useful achievement of the Geneva watch industry”.
By the time the first Vacheron Constantin boutique opened on August 1, 1906, the company was already known as the official supplier to the Serbian royal court. The watch house was even awarded an honorary award – the Royal Order of Saint Sava, who is considered the patron saint of the Serbian Orthodox Church and is revered in this country as one of the main saints.
For the 200th anniversary of Vacheron Constantin, the watchmakers of the watch house prepared a grand surprise, presenting to the public the thinnest mechanism in the world. The thickness of the caliber 1003, marked with the Geneva seal, was 1.64 mm. In 2010, Vacheron Constantin paid tribute to the legendary caliber: a re-edition of the movement that became a symbol of ultra-thin watchmaking breathed life into the Historiques Ultra-Fine 1955 model.
In 1992, Vacheron Constantin’s craftsmen decided to recreate the repeater mechanism designed in the mid-40s. True to the tradition of producing exceptional ultra-thin movements, the company presented the 1755 caliber to the public, which became the thinnest minute repeater in the world. The 3.28 mm thick movement became the basis for a discreet and austere watch, released in a limited series of 200 pieces. The models in the series were presented in skeleton (pink gold and platinum) and classic (yellow gold and platinum) versions.
Since 1996, Vacheron Constantin has been part of the Richemont-group. Since 2006, the company has been offering watch personalization services and also makes watches to order. The oldest Swiss watch manufacturer in the world is represented in 80 countries and has more than 15 branded stores and 300 points of sale. Since April 1, 2017, the company has been headed by Louis Ferla, who replaced Juan Carlos Torres, who headed Vacheron Constantin for more than 10 years. The replacement of Mr. Torres, who continued the traditions established by the founder of the watch house, was dictated by the desire of the Richemont-group management to rejuvenate the management team.
