One of the greatest names in Swiss watch making, Vacheron Constantin is the archetype of the Prestige Swiss Watch Company. With a customer list in their Golden Book that reads like a veritable World Who’s Who of the past two and a half centuries, Vacheron Constantin’s pedigree and recognized brand cachet is without question. That they have maintained their position at the apex of the watchmaking firmament throughout their existence, across the years and spanning the generations makes their reputation all the more impressive.The store of horological riches in the archives and the museum of the company are a testament to the exalted position of technical and aesthetic leadership it has held for so long.

To understand the glory that is Vacheron Constantin, knowledge of their history & achievements is necessary. Since their earliest days, the Vacheron Constantin name has been synonymous with fine watchmaking. The name has been well regarded by the cognoscenti and the industry insiders, always spoken with a degree of reverence and respect.

Vacheron Constantin was a frequent participant in timekeeping trials and competitions, usually garnering top-of-class awards and prizes in these competitions. There is even the story of a consecutive series of 9 watches submitted to the Kew Observatories in England, all of which won top honors. These awards and prizes further reinforced the image of Vacheron Constantin as ‘best in the world’!

The preferred gift at the highest levels…since the company’s earliest days, royalty and heads of state were avid customers, and even in their native Switzerland, Vacheron Constantin were the preferred brand for important official gifts. Nikolai Bulganin (Soviet Union), Anthony Eden (Great Britain), Dwight D. Eisenhower (USA), Edgar Faure (France) have all worn their watches. A model from Vacheron & Constantin was chosen as the official State gift by the Federal Swiss government in 1953 to be presented to Queen Elizabeth II upon her coronation.

Today, Vacheron Constantin continues to produce a very limited number of ultra-complicated watches, such as tourbillons, skeletons, perpetual calendars, chronographs and magnificent minute repeaters. The prices for these watches are obviously quite high, but for many watch enthusiasts, a Vacheron Constantin represents the ultimate expression of the watchmaker’s art — an heirloom to be passed down through the generations and treasured by those lucky enough to own one.