Vacheron Constantin Watches

Jean Marc Vacheron from Geneva, Switzerland founded this watching company in 1755. Abraham Vacheron, the son of the founder took the charge of the company in 1785. Jacques-Barthélemy Vacheron, the son of Abraham Vacheron took the reins of the company in his hands in 1810. François Constantin joined as a partner of the company in 1819 so that they can spread the sales of Vacheron Constantin watches overseas. With this movement, the company was named Vacheron and Constantin.

Georges Auguste Leschot joined the company in 1833 and added significantly to the history of the company. He standardized the watch movements into Calibers, and his contributions to the watchmaking industry are to date relevant. The Arts Society of Geneva awarded Leschot with a gold medal as he had invented the pantographic device or machine. This machine could engrave small watch parts with letters and numbers which was very important in that era. The royals and nobles wanted to wear engraved watches that bore their family names and other important details.

After the death of François Constantin and Jacques-Barthélemy Vacheron, multiple heirs took over the company. The company moved from the family-run business to the hands of Sheik Ahmed Zaki Yamani, the former Oil Minister of Saudi Arabia in 1987. In 1996, the Swiss Richemont Group acquired Vacheron Constantin and they have been the whole and sole owners of their shares since then.

Of the multiple Vacheron Constantin watch collections, the following are the most popular ones-

Overseas

Vacheron Constantin overseas watches collection is meant for daily wear. They inspire the wearer to travel and get enlightened. This collection was revived in 2016, and it has taken inspiration from the 1970s Vacheron Constantin sports watches. The most popular models of the Vacheron Constantin overseas watch collection are- Overseas Chronograph, Overseas Dual Time, Overseas Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin, Overseas Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin Skeleton, Overseas Self-winding, Overseas Worldtime, and Overseas Tourbillon.

You can choose between stainless steel and 18-carat gold cases, and they are available in dial sizes of 41 mm for men, and 37 mm for women. There are 33 mm quartz movement propelled ones for women too. The men's watch has three hand layouts with date and the women's watch has only a three-hand design. Women's watches are available in diamond-set versions which are a symbol of aristocracy and class.

Both Dual Time (41mm diameter case) and Worldtime watches (43.5mm diameter case with 37 time zones) have multiple time zones visibility and with self-winding movements. The wearer needs not to worry about regular winding and can go ahead with his business meetings and conference calls.

Overseas Chronograph model (42.50 mm case) is designed along with a stopwatch. It can display hours, minutes, seconds, and date. Overseas Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin is made in solid 18-carat gold. It displays hours and minutes along with the day of the week, month, and date. Equipped with moon phase and 48-month counter with leap year indication, this watch does not require the wearer to adjust the date after the leap year. Overseas Tourbillon (42.50 mm diameter case) too has self-winding movement like all the other watches in the Vacheron Constantin overseas watch collection.

All the Vacheron Constantin overseas watches have various levels of water resistance ranging between 50 meters to 150 meters. The wearer can easily go surfing, swimming, or any other water sport without any worries. The movements are anti-magnetic and hence are not disturbed in a region that has electromagnetic interferences. Each watch comes along interchangeable straps made of metal, leather, and rubber and the wearer can change the straps to match his attire. 

FIFTYSIX®

FIFTYSIX® is a line of mechanical wristwatches which comes along with self-winding technology. A historical Vacheron Constantin watch reference 6073 was launched in 1956 and this collection is inspired by that series. It is fitted with box-type front glass, and the wearer can select between stainless steel or 18-carat gold cases. The line offers the FIFTYSIX® Complete Calendar (40 mm diameter cases), the FIFTYSIX® Day-date (40 mm diameter cases), the FIFTYSIX® Self-winding (three-hand with date), and the FIFTYSIX® Tourbillon (41 mm case) models.

All the watches display 22-carat gold open-worked rotor which shows a Maltese cross appliqué. Transparent case-back, sector-type dial, and recessed crown are some other signature features of this collection.

Patrimony

Vacheron Constantin patrimony collection offers prestigious horology traditions. The watches have minimalistic designs, and the wearer can choose between self-winding and manual-winding versions. They are available in dial sizes of 36 mm, 40 mm, 41 mm, 42 mm, and 42.5 mm.

Patrimony Manual Winding and Patrimony Self Winding both with (36 mm and 40 mm dial sizes are two of the notable models available in this collection. 

Retrograde Moonphase Date (42.5 mm dial size) and the Retrograde Day-date (42.5 mm dial

size), and Patrimony Perpetual Calendar Ultrathin (41 mm dial size) too are quite popular in this collection.

Traditionnelle

Traditionnelle collection has a mix of minimalistic two-hand watches to the extremely complex grand-complication wristwatches. These Haute-Horlogerie creations are made of precious metals like platinum and gold.

You can choose between manual-winding, automatic, and quartz watches. The prominent models in this collection are the Complete Calendar, the Perpetual Calendar Chronograph, the Twin Beat Perpetual Calendar, the Perpetual Calendar Skeleton, the Tourbillon, the Minute Repeater Tourbillon, and the Tourbillon Chronograph.

Égérie

Made of stainless steel or 18-carat gold, Égérie is a classy collection for fashion-conscious women. The elegant lady can choose between self-winding or quartz movements. Adorned with a meticulously decorated main dial and captivating subsidiary dials which display date/moon phase, these watches for women are the epitome of elegant beauty.

Historiques

Historiques collection is made of precious metals like gold or platinum, but for regular wearers, there are some models available in stainless steel too. They are fitted with manual-winding mechanical movements. Some of the most appreciated models from this collection are the Historiques American 1921, the Historiques Triple Calendrier 1942, the Historiques Cornes De Vache 1955, and the Historiques Ultra-Fine 1955. All of them remind the wearer of the vintage era of the beginning of the 20th century.

Malte

The tonneau (barrel) shaped case of the Malte collection is made of precious metals like gold or platinum. This collection manufactures watches for both genders. For men, the manual winding models feature Moonphase, Skeleton Tourbillon, Tourbillon, or Small seconds. For women, there are manual winding and quartz watches.

Métiers d'Art

These mechanical wristwatches come with self-winding or manual-winding options. The platinum and gold cases remind the wearer of the aristocracy and vintage of the brand Vacheron Constantin.

Vacheron Constantin watches symbolize class, culture, and precise craftsmanship. Most of the watches have diamonds and other precious gemstones embedded in them. Most of the cases are made of either gold or platinum which clearly tells the world that the wearer is not a common man or woman.

Some watches in the collection FIFTYSIX® and Overseas do have stainless steel cases, however, the overall craftsmanship boasts of superior quality watchmaking. Vacheron Constantin's in-house movements range from simple, ultra-thin calibers to extremely complex mechanical movements that power the grand complication watches. The prestigious Hallmark of Geneva is a stamp of superior craftsmanship and high durability of each timepiece.