Quality time: Celebrating 270 years of Vacheron Constantin

At Vacheron Constantin, time ticks on — as it has, uninterrupted, since 1755. And every subsequent day and decade, every second of every century that followed has been kept in consistent, cadenced order by the watchmaker, marking time until 2025 and the brand’s 270th anniversary. Today, Vacheron employs more than 1,100 artisans and engineers in western Switzerland, where it produces many of the watch world’s most recognisable models.

But the collections are more than mere names: Patrimony, Traditionnelle, Historiques — these have become watchwords of watchmaking, famed nameplates forged through years of fine-tuning and finishing touches. Yet, while their movements may be meticulous and their metals precious, the brand’s masterstroke has, and always will be, its design. A dedicated in-house team is responsible for this aesthetic — at once timely and timeless — crafting everything from the Masterline collection to Vacheron’s Métiers d’Art timepieces.

The new Overseas Perpetual Calendar Ultra-thin

One of the most striking examples of the watchmaker’s ability to aesthetically evolve — without compromising its identity — is the Overseas collection. Originally introduced in 1996, the Overseas was conceived as the Maison’s response to a growing demand for luxury sports watches. The collection has undergone several reimagining and revisions over the years, most notably in 2004 and 2016. Yet, while each relaunch elevates the design, the core principles of the collection, whether timeless elegance or technical excellence, have remained the same. And, with its innovative interchangeable strap system, signature Maltese Cross-shaped bezel, and streamlined tonneau-shaped case, the Overseas has become a defining part of the brand’s identity.

Another of the watchmaker’s most powerful legacies has been its ability to remain exclusive, yet still relevant on the global stage. Unlike brands that oversaturate the market or constantly crop up in pop culture, Vacheron has maintained its air of quiet luxury, never striving for ubiquity or chasing recognition. In an era when the concept of ‘understatement’ is underrated, Vacheron stands apart: its watches subtle, rarefied symbols of well-designed distinction.

The Traditionnelle Complete Calendar Openface

Sandrine Donguy is the brand’s product and innovation director, and she considers time itself the key to this “never-ending quest of elevating [Vacheron’s] watchmaking art”. Every collection’s perfectly precise movements may take just as long to hone, but many of the Maison’s most visually striking watches — such as the recent Solaria Ultra Grand Complication — can take over a decade to evolve from initial concept to final product.

But what’s a month here or a year there in pursuit of perfection? Distinction takes time — and few brands are more stylistically assured than Vacheron. At the dawn of the 20th century, when wristwatches were first being buckled up, the watchmaker exhibited incredible creativity with its avant-garde offerings. In the 1970s, it resisted the rise of the quartz revolution and, by 2006, was ready to revive the lost art of complex, one-of-a-kind commissions with the bespoke Les Cabinotiers department. And these are just a few of the defining moments that make up what Donguy rightly calls “a unique legacy and heritage”.

“And one of the key challenges for our designers,” she adds, “is to make sure our watches still encapsulate a sensible link between today’s design trends and client expectations. In a nutshell, our watches are the modern expression of our watchmaking traditions and know-how. When, to us, a new design seems too far from our identity, we’ll adjust its aesthetics or technical aspects to maintain the balance between heritage and modernity.”

"Our watches are the modern expression of our watchmaking traditions and know-how..."

Such delicate dialling in reflects Vacheron’s shortcut-averse approach to watchmaking. Expect no quick wins or gimmicks — everything is comprehensively iterated and wholly earned. But this approach, which invests heavily in both time and resources, yields genuine trend-setting. In 1932, the brand created the first-ever world time movement. In 1943, its craftsmen built a historically thin minute repeater — before bettering that record-setting watch a decade later in 1955. Just last year, a grand complication from the Maison (with 63 separate mechanical functions) counted the first Chinese perpetual calendar among its impressive number. This heritage is of huge horological importance, and has fostered a brand with a reputation for moving with the times — but not one that bends to time's trends or whims. Brand heritage director Christian Selmoni studies the striking of this balance for a living.

“Creativity and innovation,” says Selmoni. “We wouldn’t have been able to cross four centuries without it. Consequently, we’ve always challenged ourselves to express our watchmaking art within the framework of different eras. A nice example of that ability to adapt to changes and design evolution would be the Art Deco era.”

The mono-pusher chronograph ref. 11059

The ref. 11243 minute repeater in pink and white gold

Selmoni describes the watches of the 1920s as both “spectacular" and “sophisticated” and, according to the heritage director, these Art Deco timepieces were so well-received because they broke with “previous designs while maintaining a refined and elegant style”. “We’re following the same path today,” he says, “designing and manufacturing watches which are perfectly relevant in today’s world — but at the same time encapsulate the design elements and technical know-how which forged our identity.”

This responsibility — serving as a ‘brand protector’ — is a key element of Selmoni’s role. Tasked with infusing the brand’s heritage into new models, he collaborates with movement engineers but primarily focuses on the design and look of the watches. “But that doesn’t mean we intend to replicate what was done in the past,” he clarifies. “Rather be consistent with our identity in terms of the art of watchmaking.”

"We wouldn’t have been able to cross four centuries without [creativity and innovation]..."

But consistency can be tricky — not least when your brand has been trading for over a quarter of a millennium. However, Selmoni views this longevity as an advantage, crediting Vacheron’s success in the secondary market to its largely unwavering visual identity. “The passing of time doesn’t affect the watches’ aesthetic qualities,” he explains, noting that if you’re fond of the latest novelties — including a Patrimony Moon Phase Retrograde Date and a Traditionnelle Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar, both of which unveiled at Watches and Wonders in April — you’re also likely to appreciate the first tonneau-cased men’s wristwatches introduced by the brand over a century ago.

“The current Patrimony collection is a particularly nice example of this timeless, classic style,” says Selmoni. “Designed in-house 21 years ago, the 1950s-inspired collection remains one of the key collections of the Maison, and its original design hasn’t been touched since its presentation in 2004.”

The Patrimony Moon Phase Retrograde Date

But why alter what’s worked for years? Vacheron’s overarching visual identity remains so strong that it has been recognised by — and formed partnerships with — some of the art world’s most powerful institutions, from Paris’ Musée du Louvre to the Met in New York City. Selmoni cites numerous more collaborations — whether with Venetian culture exhibitions or museums in Beijing's Forbidden City — and says these prove Vacheron is indelibly “connected with the universe of art and culture”. Sandrine Donguy echoes this sentiment, adding that “maintaining the highest design standards has been a perpetual commitment for the Maison over the centuries.”

“Our watches must reflect our style,” concludes Donguy of the strong, ever-recognisable, ever-enduring Vacheron lineage. “And that’s a combination of timeless classicism, sophistication and refinement.”

270 years of Vacheron Constantin

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