The History of Vacheron Constantin
Traditionnelle Perpetual Calendar / Credit: MrPorterWatches
Born at a time of conflict and war in Europe, surviving major economic crises and geopolitical events, Vacheron is truly experienced in the art of horology. And yet, its story is seldom as romanticized as those of Patek or Rolex, despite being their senior by nearly a century.
Vacheron was first founded in 1755 by Jean-Marc Vacheron on the shores of Lake Geneva. Geneva had become a haven for crafts and tradesmen through the Reformation, and centuries later enjoyed the benefits that came with being a bustling commercial center and the center of the Protestant world. The birth of the Vacheron brand is marked by the contract signed between Vacheron and his first apprentice, Esaïe Jean Francois Hetier, on September 17th, 1755. Fifteen years later, if sources are correct, Vacheron produced the world’s first horological complication; this was followed by another big first, the first ornamental watch dial (supposedly even before Breguet). At this point, in 1779, Vacheron was now 48 years old and would shortly be passing the reigns over to his son, Abraham. Abraham Vacheron would take over the business, steering it through the turmoil of the French Revolution and keeping it going through the Napoleonic Wars. Unfortunately, Jean-Marc, the founder, also passed away around this time at the age of 74. His grandson, Jacques Barthélémi Vacheron, took over in 1810 and nine years later closed one of the most important deals in the brand’s history; his partnership with François Constantin.
The pair’s activities and those of their successors would go on to define the Vacheron Constantin we know today, culminating with the adoption of the Maltese Cross as their logo in 1880. Today, Vacheron Constantin continues to be an innovator, although it has been seemingly caught up in the so-called Flood of Homages of the last couple decades. Nonetheless, its reputation and Too often brands conflate ‘returning to their roots’ with pumping out reissues of old watches, forgetting that their roots are found in risk taking, innovation, and market leadership – not conformity.