34 Historic Vacheron Constantin Watches Chosen for Its First Watchmaking Concours

By Elliot Nash - News

Updated: 19 October, 2026

ShareCopy Link0

Readtime: 7 min

Every product is carefully selected by our editors and experts. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Learn more. For more information on how we test products, click here.

• Vacheron Constantin and Phillips have named 34 finalists for the inaugural Concours d’Élégance Horlogère, selected from more than 550 collector-owned watches.
• The shortlist includes a one-off 1940 minute repeater, a pocket watch sold to a king and an exceptionally rare platinum calendar watch.
• All 34 finalists will be displayed in Geneva from 4 to 8 November, ahead of the awards ceremony on 10 November 2026.

Vacheron Constantin has teamed up with auction house Phillips, in Association with Bacs & Russo, for its inaugural Concours d’Élégance Horlogère. And it’s about time, too. Classic cars have held concours d’élégance competitions for decades, with collectors rolling out their prized machines for judging on everything from originality to presentation. Now, some of the world’s rarest watches are getting the same treatment.

Collectors worldwide submitted more than 550 pocket watches and wristwatches, with just 34 making the final cut across seven categories. And judging by the finalists, there are some extraordinary pieces hiding in private collections, many of which will be brought together for a public exhibition in Geneva, Switzerland. Some are so rarely seen that Vacheron Constantin says the competition could help fill gaps in its own historical archives.

But this isn’t simply a competition to find the most complicated or expensive Vacheron Constantin ever made. A watch’s history, rarity, condition and design all matter, which makes it tricky to compare a century-old pocket watch with a highly complicated wristwatch. Fortunately, the shortlist gives us a rather good idea of what the judges are looking for.

The Rare Watches Competing for Top Honours

Before anything reached the jury, Vacheron Constantin’s watchmakers and heritage specialists checked the submissions for authenticity, documentation and eligibility. They narrowed the field to 95 watches, which the judges assessed before selecting the finalists.

One of the most fascinating is the 1940 ‘Don Pancho’, a one-off yellow-gold wristwatch fitted with a minute repeater and a retrograde calendar. The former chimes the time on demand, while the latter uses a hand that snaps back to the start of its scale at the end of its cycle. Its silver-coloured dial was faithfully reproduced to match the original, minus the radium once used for luminous markings, making it a peculiar reminder that preserving a vintage watch doesn’t always mean leaving every component untouched. Save a thought for those who had to paint the radium on those dials.

Then there’s a 1930 pocket watch with a rather impressive former customer. Made with a yellow-and-white-gold case, sapphire-set bezel, and sapphire Roman numerals, it was sold to King Alexander I of Yugoslavia. Its appeal isn’t just in the precious stones or the movement, but in the history attached to it.

For collectors who value sheer rarity, a 1957 Ref. 4764 makes a compelling case for the top spot. This rectangular platinum watch features a full calendar and moon-phase display, powered by the hand-wound Calibre 495. According to Vacheron Constantin, the watch was made as a single piece.

The judges have plenty of other oddities to consider, from enamelled dials depicting maps to an exceptionally rare 1940 steel Ref. 4072 chronograph. Selecting just seven winners from this group looks like a difficult job.

All 34 Vacheron Constantin Concours Finalists

The 34 finalists are competing across seven categories, spanning chronographs, decorative watchmaking, astronomical complications and chiming mechanisms. Here are all the finalists in the inaugural Vacheron Constantin Concours d’élégance Horlogère.

1/4

Chronographs

• 1929 single-pusher chronograph pocket watch
• 1940 Ref. 4072 steel chronograph with telemeter dial
• 1940 Ref. 4083 rose-gold chronograph
• 1947 Ref. 4178 rose-gold chronograph

1/5

Métiers d’Art

• 1950 Ref. 4308 enamel wristwatch
• 1930 sapphire-set pocket watch sold to King Alexander I of Yugoslavia
• 1951 Ref. 4724 ‘Les Amériques’ enamel wristwatch
• 1957 Ref. 6187 dragon enamel wristwatch
• 2002 Ref. 43050 platinum wristwatch with enamel map of Europe

1/5

Chronomètre Royal

• 1957 Ref. 6167 yellow-gold Royal Chronometer
• 1966 Ref. 6694 white-gold Royal Chronometer
• 1911 Royal Chronometer pocket watch
• 1956 Ref. 6111 yellow-gold Royal Chronometer
• 1976 Ref. 2215 steel Royal Chronometer

1/5

Astronomical Complications

• 1987 Ref. 43033 skeletonised perpetual calendar and moon phase
• 1949 Ref. 4461 full calendar and moon phase
• 1957 Ref. 4764 platinum full calendar and moon phase
• 1954 Ref. 4764 rose-gold full calendar and moon phase
• 1999 Ref. 43032 skeletonised perpetual calendar and moon phase

1/5

Multiple Complications

• 1993 Ref. 30020 platinum perpetual calendar and minute repeater
• 1940 ‘Don Pancho’ minute repeater with retrograde calendar
• 1993 Ref. 30020 yellow-gold perpetual calendar and minute repeater
• 1901 pocket watch with minute repeater and split-seconds chronograph
• 1992 Ref. 49005 platinum perpetual-calendar chronograph made for Asprey

1/5

Design

• 1952 Ref. 4695 ‘Horn of Plenty with Ears’ wristwatch
• 1957 Ref. 6213 world-time wristwatch
• 1963 Ref. 6588 yellow-gold wristwatch
• 1997 Ref. 43050 platinum wristwatch with engraved map of Thailand
• 1979 Ref. 44018 yellow-gold wristwatch

1/5

Chiming Mechanisms

• 1822/1823 quarter-repeater pocket watch
• 2003 Ref. 30030 skeletonised minute repeater
• 1962 Ref. 6448 platinum minute repeater
• 2006 Ref. 30030 skeletonised minute repeater
• 1926 platinum minute-repeater pocket watch

When Will the Winners Be Announced?

A jury co-chaired by Phillips watch specialist Aurel Bacs and Vacheron Constantin’s heritage director Christian Selmoni will name one winner in each category, with the possibility of an additional Best in Show award. And there’s actually quite a bit to consider in the judging beyond auction prices, with technical achievement weighed against aesthetics, originality, provenance and historical significance.

For anyone fortunate enough to be in Geneva, the watches will go on public display at the Hôtel Président Wilson from 4 to 8 November 2026. The winners will be revealed at the same venue on 10 November.

After that, the finalists will return to their owners. And given how seldom some of these watches appear in public, that five-day exhibition might be the best chance enthusiasts get to see them all in one place.