Vacheron Constantin was founded in 1755, during the Age of Enlightenment. Another era that is remote and yet fundamental to our own time. Today, the Maison's watchmaking artistry enables us to appreciate its extraordinary heritage and continuity as it kicked off this special year with the iconic Historiques 222 in steel. “Tracing Vacheron Constantin’s past involves looking back at a large swathe of watchmaking history”, explained Style & Heritage Director Christian Selmoni (read his interview).
Inspired by different periods in the Manufacture’s history while looking firmly to the future, the 270th anniversary pieces showcase the fruit of centuries of expertise, consistently capable of reinvention and innovation. The common thread is a quest for time marked by the pursuit of excellence, mastery of complex mechanics and virtuosity in arts and crafts.
Watches and Wonders? Breathtaking!
In Geneva this April, Les Cabinotiers Solaria Ultra Grande Complication – La Première drew crowds: it is the most complex wristwatch ever made, notably involving eight years of development and 13 patent applications for 41 complications, including rare and even unprecedented astronomical functions on a double-sided display. Much more than a nod to Vacheron Constantin's mastery of complications, it marks a new milestone since its first documented calendar in 1790.
The Maison presented no fewer than 12 timepieces at this springtime show. The highlight was its signature Maltese cross emblem revisited in a graphic style, a guilloché motif on dials, including that of the Traditionnelle Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar.
Three symbolic watches recalled the origins of the Manufacture: three Les Cabinotiers Tribute to the Tour de l'Île models decorated in the style of the Geneva monument that housed the workshops in 1843. The dials are crafted using demanding techniques: bas-relief engraving entailing 140 hours of sculpting a 1 mm-thick rose gold plate, miniature painting on Grand Feu enamel in delicate pastel shades, as well as figurative guilloché work. In November, this creative freedom inherited from the Geneva tradition of the cabinotiers that began 300 years ago, gave rise to no less than 15 Les Cabinotiers The Quest watches, combining remarkable calibers and artistic crafts.
Writing history
Last September, the La Quête du Temps astronomical clock was presented at the Louvre Museum as part of the anniversary celebrations, which also took place in Geneva at the Manufacture. This monumental piece is interpreted on the wrist by the Métiers d'Art Tribute to the Quest of Time wristwatch, which draws on the expertise acquired by the Manufacture over the centuries: astronomical complications, retrograde displays, the finesse of a complex caliber, mastery of high frequency, as well as an extended power reserve. The figure of the Astronomer, drawn from the clock, is placed against a starry background: the sky above Geneva on the founding date of 17 September 1755.
This year, Vacheron Constantin has continued its quest for time through several other significant timepieces: Overseas Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin, Les Cabinotiers Temporis Duo Grand Complication Openface and the collection of 12 Métiers d’Art Tribute to the Celestial models. High Jewelry was also in the spotlight, with three new iterations of the Grand Lady Kalla unveiled in 2024, set for the first time with colored stones: sapphires, rubies and emeralds.
All these timepieces are imbued with inimitable flair born of artisans’ craftsmanship and creativity, Vacheron Constantin's metaphorical “trademark” for the past 270 years.
