There are few words more overused in luxury watchmaking than heritage, but for Vacheron Constantin this weighty term is less a repetitive marketing trope and more a 270-year promise to preserve horological craftsmanship and to never stand still.
François Constantin’s words from 1819 still echo through the Maison’s history: “Do better if possible, and that is always possible.” It’s a mantra that provides the quiet drive behind every calibre, every polished bevel, every engraved dial of a watch that refuses the ordinary.
Founded in 1755, when Mozart was a baby and the United States of America was still a twinkle in history’s eye, the Geneva Maison celebrates this remarkable anniversary with The Quest: 270 Years of Seeking Excellence, an immersive exhibition stopping off at major cities around the world. Naturally, as one of the most important horological markets on the planet, the world tour has landed in London, bringing with it a host of archive pieces – and one very special new novelty.
From 16 October to 13 November, Harrods’ Fine Watch Room will offer enthusiasts a rare glimpse into almost three centuries of craftsmanship. Visitors will journey from the Maison’s nascent beginnings, through the artistic crafts and finishes that have remained a constant throughout its history, to the high watchmaking and grand complications that have ensured its steadfast position in the upper echelons of high horology.
Make no mistake, the exhibition is as much about people as it is about the Maison itself. Vacheron Constantin’s artisans – the miniature painters, engravers, enamellers, and guillocheurs – are the invisible hands behind centuries of brilliance. The exhibition pays homage to their craft with the reverence usually reserved for the Old Masters.
When we spoke to Christian Selmoni, Vacheron’s style and heritage director, earlier this year, he told us: “[Vacheron Constantin has] an extensive archive of documents that stretches back to our very first watches, so we know more or less everything there is to know about our history, which of course is a permanent source of inspiration. I think 270 years is a perfect opportunity to showcase the company’s resilience, but also how creative and innovative it has been in order to survive during difficult times. I think one of our most important missions going forward is to really continue that story.”
In the Fine Watch Room, visitors can discover an interactive book, illustrated with precious archive materials marking some key dates in the Maison’s. A pocket watch quarter repeater from 1817 whispers of another age; the diamond-encrusted 1979 Kallista carved from a one-kilo gold ingot screams the excess of its own. Together, they trace a lineage of innovation that’s both timeless and defiantly elegant.
Finally, The Quest itself – a culmination that marries the cosmic and the mechanical – beckons patrons to reflect on their own heritage. Beneath projections of the Milky Way, guests can generate a personalised star chart, immortalising the sky on a date of their choosing. It’s a poetic flourish to an exhibition that is much more than your average retrospective; it’s a throughline to the Maison’s soul, a testament to the neverending search for perfection that began in 1755 with a young Jean-Marc Vacheron inked the contract with his first apprentice.
For London’s watch connoisseurs, The Quest offers a rare opportunity to deep dive into one of horology’s greatest watchmakers and come away with a new appreciation for what makes them tick – quite literally, in some cases.
The Métiers d’Art Tribute to The Quest of Time
The crown jewel of Vacheron Constantin’s The Quest exhibition is the Métiers d’Art Tribute to the Quest of Time wristwatch. Not only is it the only place in the world you can view this incredible masterpiece in the metal, but it’s also for sale.
The Métiers d’Art Tribute to the Quest of Time is a triumphant celebration of the Maison’s 270-year pursuit of excellence and ingenuity. Three years in the making, this double-sided marvel is powered by the new, manually wound Calibre 3670 – a 512-component movement boasting four patent applications and a beguiling dual-mode retrograde display that feels more alive than mechanical.
The Métiers d’Art Tribute to the Quest of Time is a seamless fusion of art, astronomy, and high horology
At first glance, it’s a miniature universe rendered in precious metal and sapphire. A golden figure commands the dial, its arms sweeping across twin arcs to reveal the hours and minutes, either continuously or on demand. Behind it, a celestial vault recreates the night sky as seen over Geneva on 17 September 1755 – the day Vacheron Constantin was founded. Flip the watch over and the caseback offers a sidereal sky chart tracking constellations in real time with staggering precision: a deviation of just one day every 9,130 years.
The Calibre 3670 is no less ambitious. Running at a high frequency of 5Hz and endowed with a six-day power reserve from three large barrels, it redefines mechanical choreography thanks to four patented systems – including a twin power reserve display and an adjustable 3D moon phase – pushing the boundaries of micro-engineering.
Limited to just 20 pieces and available to purchase at Harrods’ Fine Watch Room, the Métiers d’Art Tribute to the Quest of Time is a seamless fusion of art, astronomy, and high horology, executed with that uniquely Vacheron blend of intellect and soul.
The Quest: 270 Years of Seeking Excellence runs from 16 October to 13 November 2025 at Harrods, Fine Watch Room, Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7XL.
For more information, vacheron-constantin.com
