Concours d’Élégance Horlogère is a joint initiative conceived by Vacheron Constantin and Phillips Bacs & Russo. More than 550 watches were submitted, all confirmed correct against the brand’s archives, and 34 finalists were brought together for an exhibition in Geneva.
What gave you the most pleasure in organizing this inaugural edition?
Christian Selmoni: This is a story I absolutely love. For our 270th anniversary in 2025, we hadn't planned anything for the vintage community at large. Our schedule was already packed, so we decided to revisit the idea in 2026. During an internal brainstorming session, the idea of partnering with an auction house emerged, although we hadn't yet decided which one. The Heritage Department has been working hand in hand with Phillips for a long time, on the “Don Pancho” in 2019, for example. So we went to Phillips, where Aurel Bacs came up with this brilliant idea: a watchmaking elegance contest. If I had to single out one moment, it would be that meeting.
Aurel Bacs: There were several. First of all, watchmaking is about more than watches; it's about people: watchmakers, historians, and teams who bring a human touch to our objects. I've known Christian since sometime in the nineteenth century, but this project introduced me to many people who never get to step into the spotlight. Two teams, sometimes with different working cultures, but with shared values: respect for watchmaking, heritage, the objects themselves, and the people who made them. And I must say, they're a very nice bunch!
Then there was the adventure of not knowing where we were headed. At times, I felt like a young Christopher Columbus who thought he was sailing to the Indies but ended up reaching America. We embarked on this adventure with plenty of goodwill and curiosity, without knowing what November 10 would look like. This wasn't a copy of a format we'd seen 10, 20, or 50 times before.
Finally, we had no idea what watches we were going to discover. A bit like Indiana Jones! We love treasures, the crown jewels. Pieces from the archives and old catalogs we'd never held in our hands came out of the shadows. First and foremost, this project was a wonderful journey of emotional discovery.
And what proved the most challenging?
Aurel Bacs: This interview wouldn't be long enough to list all the obstacles! At one point, we discovered that for it to be a genuine contest, we needed a bailiff. We also needed the logistics to bring watches in from all corners of the world. More than 500 pieces were submitted. After being checked against the archives, some were eliminated. An initial screening, followed by a second round, narrowed the field down to 34 finalists, ahead of the final selection on Tuesday. On the logistics side, we encountered nothing but surprises: whenever we spotted a rock ahead, we had to try to change course at the last minute.
What do owners stand to gain by taking part?
Christian Selmoni: I love Aurel's way of putting it: this contest is a declaration of love for watchmaking. That's probably the most important thing. For participants, it's a unique opportunity to share a treasure that has been sleeping in their safe, meet one another, and bring their watch into the spotlight. Receiving an award will also be a genuine source of pride for them.
Aurel Bacs: I agree with Christian. After speaking with several participants and finalists, I realized that they all shared the same motivation: an emotional or intellectual one, never a material one. All 500 watches went through the archives, so every owner established a connection with the manufacture, including collectors who weren't previously on the radar. Many are looking forward to coming to Geneva on Tuesday to meet the other finalists. That's the spirit of community: bringing together people who share the same mindset.
Of course, there's also a competitive dimension. Why does a tennis player enter Wimbledon? Because they want to win. The desire to be the best remains deeply ingrained in all of us. As someone who owns a few watches myself, I can appreciate the immense privilege of seeing a chronomètre royal, a chronograph, or a minute repeater named the most beautiful in its category by a jury of internationally renowned experts. I'd quite like to have that little trophy on my desk!
Will some of these wonderful stories resurface in a future Phillips auction?
Aurel Bacs: Let me make one thing absolutely clear: Phillips has never, either in writing or verbally, made the slightest suggestion to any of the finalists. Nobody has told them, “Entrust your watch to us,” or even implied that taking part would create any moral obligation. To be perfectly honest, if in 5, 10, or 15 years, during an estate settlement, three children can't agree on what to do with their grandfather's watch, they will always be welcome. But that was never the purpose of this exercise. Besides, a watch can win an award without being worth millions: some pieces are incredibly rare without being worth a fortune. This is not a commercial exercise for either Vacheron Constantin or us.
For the Maison, it is nonetheless an opportunity to reconnect with owners who were not previously on its radar…
Christian Selmoni: From our side, there was never any commercial intention. Meeting Vacheron Constantin owners who don't visit our boutiques is obviously interesting; it gives us an opportunity to establish or renew relationships. But above all, what matters is the spirit of the vintage enthusiast community, which overflows with passion, and which we have witnessed throughout the contest. Our representatives on every continent were in contact with participants, and the feedback was unanimous: these collectors were delighted to be part of the adventure. We hope to maintain this connection, and there's no reason why we shouldn't succeed.
Aurel, why was Vacheron Constantin the ideal partner?
Aurel Bacs: This is a first, so I have no point of comparison. But the enthusiasm with which the management embraced this somewhat unconventional idea from the outset was dazzling. After an eighteen-month journey, I think we can say we were ideal partners. You never know on your wedding day; you only find out after fifty years.
More seriously, a contest of this kind would be impossible with a brand that has only five or ten years of history. There are some wonderful young independent watchmakers we greatly admire, but with just a few years of production and perhaps 50 watches in total, it simply wouldn't make sense. Industrial brands are no better suited to it, as they lack the craftsmanship or sufficient archives to verify the watches. Vacheron Constantin's archives, by contrast, are remarkable. Some brands have wonderful archives but almost disown their past; that's a strategic choice I won't comment on. Vacheron Constantin, on the other hand, embraces its history. That's what made the contest not only feasible, but also true to the rules of the game: research, discoveries, and analysis.
Finally, Vacheron Constantin isn't what the English call a one-trick pony: chronomètres royaux, design, métiers d'art, and, and, and… How can you organize a contest without a diversity of watch categories? It would be monotonous. An uninterrupted 270-year history, archives, a museum, a heritage taken seriously, and people who are accessible rather than hidden away in an ivory tower: these are all reasons why this contest was possible with Vacheron Constantin, and why it would have been much more difficult, if not impossible, elsewhere.
Palmarès 2026
Best in Show
Minute repeater watch (1962)
Chronographs
Pocket watch (1929)
Métiers d'Art
Pocket watch (1930)
Chronomètre Royal
Royal Chronometer (1976)
Astronomical Complications
Full date and moon phase (1957)
Multiple Complicationss
Retrograde full date and 'Don Pancho' minute repeater (1940)
Design
Wristwatch (1957)
Chiming Mechanisms
Pocket watch (1926(
