Vacheron Constantin Watches

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Genevois watchmaker Jean-Mark Vacheron founded the company in 1755 at just 24 years of age. Vacheron was known for expensive and finely finished timepieces.

His personal ambition was to create timepieces that would stand out for their elegance and quality. In 1785, Vacheron's son Abraham took over the company, which survived the French Revolution, among other economic crises.

By 1814, third-generation watchmaker Jacques Barthelemy Vacheron was leading the company, but Vacheron realized that he needed a partner if the company was to survive. He could not oversee the company's day-to-day operations and travel overseas to market the watches.

So it was that in 1819, Francois Constantin -- son of a wealthy grain merchant -- became a partner in the firm. From that point forward, the firm went under the name "Vacheron & Constantin", a name that is to this day synonymous with the finest quality timepieces.

The oldest watch company in Geneva, Vacheron Constantin, also has the singular honor of having produced the single most expensive watch of all time -- the "Kallista" (Greek for "the most wonderful") -- which is set with over 130 carats of emerald cut diamonds, each with its own GIA certificate.

The Kallista's original selling price was over $5 million, and today, its value is estimated at over twice that figure should the watch ever be offered at auction. Needless to say, there are many passionate fans of Vacheron Constantin.