Vacheron Constantin and Phillips Announce the First-Ever Watch Concours d’Elegance
Vacheron Constantin is celebrating its 270th anniversary with a new initiative that promises to become a landmark event for collectors. In partnership with the auction house Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo, the Geneva manufacture will host the inaugural Watch Concours d’Elegance, dedicated exclusively to vintage timepieces created before 1999.
A new format for horological appreciation
Unlike the traditional automotive concours events that celebrate classic cars, this gathering will focus on the elegance, design and preservation of Vacheron Constantin wristwatches and pocket watches. The competition aims to honour both the aesthetic refinement and the enduring craftsmanship that have defined the maison since its founding in 1755.
Entries will be open to private collectors and enthusiasts worldwide who own Vacheron Constantin watches manufactured prior to 1999. Each piece will be evaluated by an international panel of experts, collectors and industry figures based on three key criteria: historical significance, condition and design integrity.
The jury and organisation
The jury will be co-chaired by Aurel Bacs, Senior Consultant at Phillips, and Christian Selmoni, Style and Heritage Director at Vacheron Constantin. Both names carry exceptional weight in the world of high-end horology: Bacs is widely recognised for curating record-setting auctions of rare timepieces, while Selmoni oversees the maison’s heritage archives and its historic watch restoration projects.
The concours will be organised jointly by Vacheron Constantin and Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo, reinforcing a partnership that has already produced several high-profile collaborations in the field of vintage watch collecting. This marks the first occasion where a leading watch manufacture and a global auction platform formally join forces to evaluate timepieces outside a sales context, focusing purely on historical and artistic merit.
Timeline and forthcoming details
The official regulations, participation requirements and full list of jury members will be released in early 2026. The award ceremony is scheduled to take place in November 2026, when the winning watches will be announced and exhibited.
The event is expected to set a new precedent within the collecting community, creating a bridge between the worlds of auction expertise, manufacture heritage and private connoisseurship. For Vacheron Constantin, it also reinforces the maison’s long-standing commitment to the preservation and celebration of its legacy as the world’s oldest watchmaker in continuous operation.
