Vacheron Constantin has announced the inaugural Vacheron Constantin Concours d'Élégance Horlogère, marking the first competition of its kind in the watchmaking industry. Developed at Phillips' initiative in Association with Bacs & Russo, the event brings the celebrated automotive Concours d'Élégance format to fine watchmaking, inviting collectors worldwide to submit Vacheron Constantin pocket and wristwatches for evaluation by an international jury of experts.
Registration opens January 19th and runs through April 30th, 2026, with entries accepted through Vacheron Constantin boutiques or the dedicated platform. The competition welcomes pieces manufactured between 1755 and 1999, excluding quartz movements, clocks, and watches with major modifications. Seven prizes will be awarded on November 10th, 2026, in Geneva, immediately following Phillips' autumn auctions.
The jury, co-chaired by Aurel Bacs and Christian Selmoni, brings together exceptional expertise across the horological landscape. Members include Yasmine Alshathry, Felix Baumgartner—Co-founder Urwerk—, Matteo Bega, Benjamin Clymer, Dr. Helmut Crott, Nicholas Foulkes, Alexandre Ghotbi, Wei Koh, Morgan Maillard—Vacheron Constantin Style & Heritage Expert (photo on the left)—, Auro Montanari, Roberta Naas, and Jia Xian Su.
Submitted pieces will be evaluated against nine criteria: authenticity, elegance, rarity, historical impact on Vacheron Constantin or watchmaking generally, provenance, technical achievement, métiers d'art execution, preservation state, and emotional resonance.
Each watch may compete in only one of seven distinct categories: Chiming Mechanisms—minute repeaters, quarter repeaters, and grande sonnerie—, Chronographs—two-counter, three-counter, single-pusher, split-seconds—, Astronomical Complications—triple calendar, complete calendar, and perpetual calendar—, Multiple Complications—combining at least two major complications—, Chronomètre Royal—pieces bearing the official designation from 1907 onward—, Métiers d'Art—engraving, enameling, gem-setting, guilloché, excluding skeletonization—, and Design—signature case designs or time displays including retrograde, jumping hour, world time and you can find those within the rarest watches in the 270 years of history of Vacheron Constatin.
"As a lifelong enthusiast of the Concours d'Élégance concept, it has long been my dream to bring this to fine watchmaking," Bacs explained. "I am delighted that Vacheron Constantin has accepted our invitation to support the world's very first Concours d'Élégance dedicated to timepieces."
For Vacheron Constantin, competition represents an opportunity to strengthen dialogue with the collector community while honoring those who preserve the manufacture's 270-year heritage.
"Following our 270th anniversary celebrations, this competition allows us to further honor those who preserve and promote the Maison's expertise and history," according to Selmoni. "It also creates new opportunities for exchange, particularly with members of exclusive communities such as The Hour Club."
The collaboration leverages Phillips' unparalleled expertise in vintage timepiece appraisal and presentation, bringing scholarly rigor to the evaluation process while celebrating the diversity and richness of Vacheron Constantin's historical production. Awards will be presented as trophies, without financial compensation, with an emphasis on heritage recognition over commercial considerations.
Complete competition regulations and registration details are available on Vacheron Constantin’s dedicated platform.
