Vacheron Constantin

Founded in Geneva in 1755, Vacheron Constantin is the oldest continuously operating watch manufacturer in the world. Currently employed Vacheron Constantin, which is part of the Richemont group, around 400 employees, most of whom are engaged in the Manufacture in Plan- les- Ouates in the Canton of Geneva. Represented the brand is in about 80 countries around the world and is sold through 15 exclusive boutiques as well as a network of about 500 sales outlets.

History

In 1755, a watchmaker named Jean -Marc Vacheron established his workshop in Geneva. This Cabinotier made ​​fine watches, whose reputation soon extended beyond the borders of time. Already in 1785 changed its name to the operation, the first time around in Abraham Vacheron Girod - 1810 the company was renamed under the direction of Jacques Barthélémy Vacheron - in Vacheron Chossat.

The businessman François Constantin joined in 1819 with Vacherons offspring together. He traveled for decades throughout Europe and opened the products of the house, which bore the name Vacheron Constantin et now, a number of markets. The first representatives in the United States were established in 1830, with Jean Magnin in New York and at Brey in New Orleans. He also coined the motto of the house is still valid today: " faire mieux si possible, ce qui est toujours possible" ( in German: Improve if possible, which is always possible).

In 1839, the history of the entire watchmaking has been drastically changed by the setting of Georges Auguste Leschot as technical director. This developed and built the first machines that enabled mass production of watch parts, especially the pantograph. Until then, no clock part could be replaced by another, as all parts were made ​​by hand and therefore necessarily had irregularities. With the addition of manual labor by machines production Vacheron Constantin et revolutionized the watch manufacturing and also enabled a considerable acceleration of the commercialization of the products.

After the death of François Constantin in 1854 his son Jean -François took over the management. In 1864 the first own sales outlets were established in the United States. The company was renamed in 1867 in Cesar Vacheron & Co and two years later Charles Vacheron & Cie. After the early death of Charles Vacherons with 25 years of the company under the leadership of the two widows of Charles and Jacques Barthélémy, Laure Vacheron - Pernessin and Catherine - Étiennette Vacheron was, in Vve. Renamed Cesar Vacheron & Cie and 1877 so far last time in Vacheron & Constantin.

In 1880, Vacheron Constantin was the Maltese cross be registered as a logo of the brand. It is a replica of a small wheel on the barrel lid, which was once used to to limit the elevation of the spring, making the passage of the clock has been improved.

From 1938 the company LeCoultre Vacheron & Constantin acquired shares in which were expanded in 1940 by acquiring a majority stake in Vacheron & Constantin by the holding SAPIC under the direction of Georges Ketterer. In the 1950s, sales of the watches in the United States took over the company Vacheron & Constantin -LeCoultre, a subsidiary of the Longines - Wittnauer group.

1965 Georges Ketterer left the holding SAPIC as managing to henceforth to be guided only Vacheron & Constantin, simultaneously Vacheron & Constantin was spun off from the SAPIC. The remaining sum from his participation in SAPIC Ketterer received in the form of a minority stake in Jaeger- LeCoultre. After the death of Georges Ketterer in 1969, his son Jacques Ketterer took over the management. The late 1970s, the ampersand was dropped in the company name and also on the dials.

The company was sold to the former Saudi oil minister Ahmed Zaki Yamani in 1987 and became director Claude Daniel Proellochs. In 1996, Vacheron Constantin at the Vendôme Luxury Group, Richemont sold today. Through the acquisition of Haut de Gamme, a manufacturer of watch movements, Vacheron Constantin 1998 finally became a watchmaker.

The famous watch models are those with the caliber VC4261 with minute, the Ultra -plate with the hand-wound caliber VC1003 (1.64 mm height ) with its partially skeletonized variants Kallista than it was then the most expensive wristwatch in the world, as well as the slimmest movement with automatic winding with a full rotor caliber VC1120 (based on JLC920 with 2.45 mm height), which is used since 1967 to today and the caliber VC1170 (based on Lassale K2000 with 2.08 mm height), which temporarily last decade of the 20th century was used.

In 2005, Vacheron Constantin celebrated its 250th anniversary, making it the oldest watch manufacturer in the world that has been continuously active since its creation. On this occasion the watch Tour de l' Ile was with 16 complications and 834 parts brought out (see Grande Complication ).

Known pocket watches of the house are the King Fouad and King Farouk the.

Collections

  • Malte
  • Patrimony
  • Overseas
  • Historiques
  • Métiers d'Art
  • Ladies timepieces
  • Cabinotiers
797094
de