Circa 1755

Pocket watch, the first known watch from the founder Jean-Marc Vacheron

 Pocket watch, silver, onion-shaped case, 16”’ calibre, key-winding movement

 

This ‘onion’-shaped silver pocket watch, signed ‘JM Vacheron à Genève’, is the only timepiece known to bear the name of the Maison’s founder, Jean-Marc Vacheron. The crown-wheel escapement features a balance cock with elegant arabesque openwork.

This timepiece showcases a white enamel dial with a key-winding system between 3 and 4 o’clock, and hour and minute hands decorated with sun motifs. This pocket watch attests to the twofold commitment on which the Maison’s identity rests: a mastery of horological technique dedicated to aesthetic excellence.

 

1953

Skeleton watch

Rock crystal and platinum; skeletonised 16”’ calibre 162

 At Vacheron Constantin, technical excellence is matched only by aesthetic finesse and meticulous decoration, which can be clearly seen in both its cases and its movements. The Maison takes care to craft its timepieces to ensure that the watchmaking technique deployed is as attractive as its housing. To illustrate this concept, Vacheron Constantin presents this skeleton pocket watch, directly inspired by the Art Deco creations of the 1920s. The technical prowess involved is reflected in the opulently decorated red gold skeleton movement, housed in a rock crystal case with a sapphire-set caseband, accentuating the overall effect of transparency.

The master craftsmen who executed this work chose to extend their know-how to the movements, and then to the engraving of the skeleton movements. The work is very delicate, fine and light.

 

1985

‘222’ – model 44018

 ‘222’ model 44018/411; 18-carat yellow gold, date aperture, calibre 1121

 The Maison distinguished itself early on by developing timepieces perfectly adapted to the requirements of scientists, explorers and athletes. As early as the 1850s, these watches were appreciated for their reliability and precision, receiving numerous prizes in chronometry competitions. A century later, the 1970s brought hard-wearing watches with integrated bracelets and highly legible dials, creating a whole new segment of sporty chic products consistent with the lifestyles of the era.

Launched in 1977 to celebrate the company’s 222nd anniversary, it has become one of the most recognisable Vacheron Constantin timepieces over the past forty years. The collection, codenamed ‘222’, distinguished itself with a monobloc case with an integrated fitted bracelet and a porthole-style, screw-fastened bezel that offered resistance to tough treatment in harsh environments. Moreover, the bezel is directly secured to the caseback – an innovative construction that ensures the watch’s water-resistance up to 12 ATM (approximately 120 metres).

The ultra-thin, self-winding calibre 1121, which measures only 3.05mm in thickness, allows the watch to maintain an elegant appearance. The 12The 222 references were designed by young designer Jorge Hysek, not by Charles Gérald Genta, another talented designer from the 1970s with whom he is too often confused.

 

1977

2215 Royal Chronometer

 Chronomètre Royal wristwatch – model 2215; 18-carat pink gold, calibre 1096

 The Chronomètre Royal collection helped perpetuate the Maison’s reputation for precision for a new century, starting with a pocket watch released in 1907 and the registration of the ‘Chronomètre Royal’ trademark that same year.

The 2215 model, originally available in yellow gold or stainless steel (2216), was one of the Maison’s most emblematic 1970’s models. Manufactured between 1973 and 1977, the Royal Chronometer models are considered among Vacheron Constantin’s finest timepieces of the era.

Featuring an integrated metal bracelet and an eye-catching case, this chronometer-certified timepiece, with instantaneous date and stop seconds features, relies on the automatic calibre 1096.

 

1951

Minute repeater 4261

 Minute repeater model 4261; platinum; 13”’ minute repeater calibre

In its 270 years, Vacheron Constantin has created numerous minute-repeater watches – a prestigious complication that is difficult to master, often with the further constraint of being ultra-thin.

Model 4261, which first appeared in 1943, manages to be ultra-thin while delivering clear notes; a quintessential representation of the Maison’s quest to balance aesthetics and technicity.

This 37mm diameter platinum watch is an accomplished example, with its pure lines and a remarkably sonorous calibre measuring just 3.1mm in thickness. Thanks to a gadrooned caseband that subtly incorporates the minute repeater’s trigger, this 1951 watch hides its complexity well.

 

1998

Saltarello

 ‘Saltarello’ – model 43041; 18-carat yellow gold; guilloché; retrograde display, calibre 1120

The Maison has showcased special displays since the early 19th century, notably its famous window watches, which have a jumping hours disc at 12 o’clock. Greater ease of reading was later introduced by combining the complication with retrograde minutes, as in this Saltarello from 1997 (the minute hand jumps back to start again after reaching 60 – a patented system by Vacheron Constantin, patent no. CH 691 833 A5).

Launched in 1997 at the ‘Watches & Jewels’ event in Berlin, the Saltarello is one of the most iconic pieces by Vacheron Constantin: inventing new ways to display the time, inspired by an elevator’s floor indicators.

Driven by the ultra-thin automatic calibre 1120, this model has a cushion case with terraced lugs and a transparent caseback, while the dial features hand guilloché decoration radiating from the axis of the minute hand.

A unique design, limited to 500 pieces – 200 in white gold, 100 in yellow gold and 200 in pink gold.

 

1972

‘Prestige de la France’ – model 15207

 ‘Prestige de la France’ wristwatch – model 15207; 18-carat yellow gold; asymmetrical in shape; calibre 1052

 In 1972, Vacheron Constantin received the ‘Prestige de la France’ diploma, recognising the Maison’s more than 200 years of expertise and know-how. To celebrate this event, the Maison released a timepiece whose case resembled an isosceles trapezoid.

Innovative and ergonomic, this model illustrates the brand’s quest for simplicity through new geometric codes and meticulous attention to detail: a dial without hour markers or minute track, a case with no lugs, and a dedicated engraving on the back.

 

1914

The Art Deco ladies’ timepiece

 Ladies’ wristwatch; 18-carat yellow gold case, platinum lugs and bezel, set with 14 cut diamonds, ref. Photo 1131

 Gem-setting is the art of incorporating precious stones into jewellery to enhance their brilliance and richness. It was around 1750 that the profession of the gem-setter was transformed; until then, stones were placed on a metal base, then the base was carved out to allow the light to pass through the stone and to lighten the setting. From there, the setter developed several techniques to amplify the brilliance of the gems. Indeed, like haute horlogerie, haute joaillerie comes from the imagination of a master, from his vision of perfection, brought to life through his art and his hands.

The Art Deco style is named after the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes, held in Paris in 1925. It became a worldwide artistic movement, gradually emerging in the 1910s and reaching its full success in the 1920s, before slowly declining from the 1930s onwards. Following on from the elaborate of the Art Nouveau style, Art Deco marked a return to classical rigour: symmetry, and cut stone without any picturesque embellishment, inspired by Cubist geometry. This timepiece pays full tribute to this, both through the use of a sober, colourless gemstone – the diamond – and the fine blue enamelled circle that enhances the roundness of the case.

 

1926

The table clock

 Table clock, eight-day power reserve, Japanese-style, red lacquer, cloisonné enamel

 This table clock, with its eight-day power reserve, is made of gilt silver, covered with red lacquer, opening with sapphire, and an agate base. It opens to reveal a red lacquer interior, the black enamelled doors forming a triptych representing a samurai scene. The term ‘triptych’, borrowed from the fine arts, describes a work composed of three panels, the outer two folding over the central one. The cloisonné technique is used to decorate the enamelled dial.

From the very beginning of its existence, in order to offer its clients the very best, Vacheron Constantin has surrounded itself with experts in their respective fields – whether in the arts, beauty, science or technology. Among these collaborations, the partnership with Maison Verger holds a particularly special place in its heart, from both a human and a creative perspective. In 1920, resuming the collaboration begun with their father Ferdinand in 1879, the Verger brothers worked with Vacheron Constantin to create exceptional timepieces, remarkable not only for their aesthetics and level of technical complexity, but also for the mastery of the crafts involved in their making. Many of these creations were later sold to renowned jewellers such as Maison Charlton & Co., Marchak and Lacloche.

 

1948

The grand feu enamelled pocket watch

Pocket watch; miniature enamelled, 18-carat yellow gold

Pocket watch decorated with a landscape enamel work, ‘Vue de Genève depuis le bois de la Bâtie’, based on a gouache by Jean Du Bois – a Geneva gouache painter and engraver (1789-1849). Measuring time would be nothing without an aesthetic dimension and creative research.

The pursuit of beauty in high watchmaking served to showcase and elevate the work of master craftsmen, whose workshops flourished in nineteenth-century Geneva, each with their own specialities. Miniaturists working in enamel, for example, often anonymously reproduced the works of famous artists or motifs from the world of the decorative arts. Very early on, Vacheron Constantin joined forces with these great names in arts and crafts to add a touch of the sublime to its own technical prowess. The miniaturist painter Hélène May-Mercier, who trained for five years at the École des Arts Industriels and also worked with Carlo Poluzzi (1899-1978), decorated this timepiece for the Maison, among other works.

 

2015

Métiers d’Art – Florilège

 Métiers d’Art Florilège ‘White Lily’; white gold, cloisonné Grand Feu enamel; calibre 4400

 The Métiers dʹArt ‘Florilège’ collection continues Vacheron Constantin’s longstanding devotion to floral art. This series of watches was inspired by illustrations from The Temple of Flora, published in 1799 by the English botanist Robert John Thornton. This model, representing a white lily, highlights the hand-guilloché technique, echoing Dr Thornton’s original engraving plates, and cloisonné enamel, recalling the beauty of the original paintings. It is signed at 6 o’clock by the famous enameller Anita Porchet.

Three limited editions were made, consisting of 20 pieces each, along with a ‘boutique’ limited edition of five, with baguette-cut diamonds on the bezel.

The movement is the hand-wound manufacture calibre 4400. Its 28.50mm diameter provides an ideal fit for contemporary case proportions. Stamped with the prestigious Poinçon de Genève, the calibre 4400 meets the highest quality standards and the exacting requirements of all hand-finished decorations. Delicate Côtes de Genève decorations adorn the bars, whose shape and fluidity allow only a hand-chamfered finish.