Vacheron Constantin Borrows the Luxury Concours d’ Elegance Concept from the Auto World
In a move that feels less like a launch and more like an industry-altering cultural journey, Vacheron Constantin and Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo have introduced the first-ever Concours d’Élégance devoted entirely to watches—an idea so obvious that in retrospect it is astonishing no one attempted it before. For generations, the world’s greatest cars have paraded across manicured lawns at Pebble Beach, Amelia Island and Villa d’Este, among others, judged not for horsepower but for history and meticulous preservation. Now, haute horlogerie steps onto its own lawn of distinction.
The “Vacheron Constantin Concours d’Élégance Horlogère,” an initiative by Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo, is a deliberate celebration of timepiece innovation and technical mastery. “This has been a dream that our founder, Aurel [Bacs], has had for a while: showcasing the exceptional watches across various categories and eras and choosing the best of class across it all. This sort of annual celebration of the best of the best has long been done in cars but not watches. Until now,” Paul Boutros, deputy chairman and head of watches Americas for Phillips, told Observer.
The horological concours is significant because it formalizes what serious watch collectors around the world already understand: the rarest watches are important cultural artifacts, and their owners are the custodians tasked with preserving the integrity of the pieces. This is underscored by the fact that there is no commercial gain involved in the horological concours. Watch collectors are asked to submit their timepieces knowing that the only prize is the prestige of the win, the acknowledgment that a watch represents the apex of its era.
“Just as is tradition in the concours events with cars, it is not us showcasing our watches, it is our clients showcasing theirs,” Christian Selmoni, heritage and style director at Vacheron Constantin, told Observer. “It is an extraordinary undertaking that brings to light our legacy and heritage and also gives us the possibility to talk about our diversity and our enduring innovations over two-and-a-half centuries. There is also the end goal to find the unusual pieces from our past. The unicorn watches that collectors also want to know about.”
Among the pieces organizers hope to see resurface are long-lost, highly rare creations that have not appeared publicly in decades. One such watch is an exceptionally rare 1957 World Time Cottier System (single pusher) wristwatch. Apparently, one hasn’t been seen at auction since the 1990s. According to Boutros, Vacheron Constantin is uniquely suited for this inaugural concours because of the depth, scope and continuity of its watchmaking. Founded in 1755, the brand is the world’s oldest continually operating watch company. It just celebrated its 270th anniversary in 2025, but “the public doesn’t get exposed to the greatness of watches in general or of this brand in particular. What Vacheron Constantin does today, the world’s firsts, the innovation, the complexity is the result of what they did in the past and we want to shine a light on that greatness,” he said.
Additionally, Vacheron Constantin services and restores every single watch that comes into the workshops—no matter how old it is. The brand can do this because of its uninterrupted history, extensive archives and its ability to build its own tools and components. This is an important aspect factoring into the criteria for the watches that are ultimately selected for the concours.
The logistics of the Vacheron Constantin Concours d’Élégance
Just as in the Concours d’Élégance luxury automotive events held around the world, watches will only be accepted after extensive vetting. The timepieces must be faithful to their original mechanics and designs and adhere to precise guidelines to even be considered for inclusion. Eligibility is uncompromising. Only Vacheron Constantin timepieces produced between 1755-1999 may enter. Quartz watches are excluded, as are clocks. Pieces that have undergone significant non-original modifications are disqualified. Restorations must have been executed exclusively by Vacheron Constantin itself. Authenticity is, of course, non-negotiable.
“They have to be original with numbers of the case and movement matching with the archives,” Selmoni explained. “If a dial has been replaced, it must be a genuine Vacheron Constantin dial, or it won’t be accepted. The same is true of other components, such as bridges or hands. We have criteria about the condition of the watches also, but they don’t necessarily have to be in perfect working condition.”
There are seven categories in the concours: chiming watches, chronographs, astronomical complications, multiple complications, Chronomètre Royal, design, métiers d’art. Each entry will be evaluated against nine criteria, including provenance, technical merit, rarity, state of preservation, elegance and even emotional resonance.
Presiding over the process is a jury that reads like a roll call of horological authority. Co-chaired by Bacs, senior consultant at Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo, and Selmoni, the panel includes respected collectors, scholars, journalists and independent watchmakers whose combined expertise enables them to identify true cultural significance. To introduce the concept, Vacheron Constantin and Phillips are meeting privately with collectors worldwide and hosting intimate gatherings to explain the scope and significance of the concours.
“It is an all-new ritual in horology,” said Boutros. “The long-term goal is to elevate the standing of exceptional watches across multiple fields and eras. Really showcasing the very best.” While this first event is in cooperation with Vacheron Constantin, it is expected that subsequent Concours d’Élégance Horlogère events will be held in concert with different top-grail watch brands, and eventually with multiple brands all in one concours, as in the automobile field.
Collectors can submit their watches until April 30, 2026. The “Vacheron Constantin Concours d’Élégance Horlogère” watches will be on display in a dedicated area next to the Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo autumn auctions in November. The jury will meet in the morning of the 10th for final votes, and the awards will be presented that evening (details on timing and execution, as well as the address of the final event, are yet to be announced).