Vacheron Constantin — Vacheron Constantin wristwatch, ref. 4072, 1944 — Vacheron Constantin wristwatch, ref. 4072, 1944 — Antiquorum auction archive, Geneva · © Antiquorum Genève SA — permission required · source

Manufacturer

Vacheron Constantin

Also recorded as: Vacheron & Constantin · Jean-Marc Vacheron

Geneva manufacturer founded by Jean-Marc Vacheron in 1755, with an unbroken history of watchmaking.

Jean-Marc Vacheron registered as a master watchmaker in Geneva in 1755. His grandson Jacques-Barthélemy Vacheron took François Constantin as partner in 1819, and the firm became Vacheron & Constantin.

In 1839 the firm engaged Georges-Auguste Leschot, whose pantograph and tooling allowed standardised, interchangeable movement parts — an early step towards industrial methods in Geneva watchmaking. The Maltese cross, derived from a stopwork component, has been its emblem since 1880.

Country: Switzerland
City / centre: Geneva
Founded: 1755
Status: Active (Richemont since 1996)
Key people: Jean-Marc Vacheron (1731–1805); François Constantin (1788–1854); Georges-Auguste Leschot (1800–1884)

Innovations & specialities

Leschot pantograph and standardised parts (from 1839)
Ultra-thin and complicated calibres

Works by Vacheron Constantin in the catalogue

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Movements & Components · 1800–1899

Watch movement by Vacheron & Constantin, 1800–1899

Swedish National Museum of Science and Technology