In the world of fine watchmaking, beauty has always been judged quietly. In the curve of a lug. In the discipline of a calibre. In the way time is allowed to reveal itself rather than announce its presence. With the launch of the Vacheron Constantin Concours d’Élégance Horlogère, that discreet judgement steps, at last, into the light.
Initiated by Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo and conceived in close dialogue with Vacheron Constantin, this inaugural concours marks a first for haute horlogerie: a formal, scholarly and celebratory framework dedicated to recognising elegance in historic timepieces. The intention is to pay tribute to stewardship, discernment and continuity.
Open to owners of Vacheron Constantin pocket watches and wristwatches produced between 1755 and 1999, the Concours invites collectors to present pieces that have survived centuries. Quartz watches, clocks and heavily modified pieces are excluded. What remains is a tightly curated universe of mechanical expression, judged on a nuanced matrix of values: authenticity, rarity, provenance, technical merit, métiers d’art, state of preservation and – tellingly – emotional resonance.
Seven categories structure the competition, spanning chiming watches, chronographs, astronomical complications, multiple complications, the historic Chronomètre Royal designation, métiers d’art and design.
Oversight comes from an international jury co-chaired by Aurel Bacs and Christian Selmoni, whose combined authority bridges the auction room, the archive and the atelier. The wider jury reads like a who’s who of contemporary horological thought: watchmakers, historians, journalists, collectors and scholars, united by a shared belief that excellence deserves interpretation as much as applause.
“For Vacheron Constantin, this Concours is above all a continuation of our dialogue with collectors,” says Christian Selmoni, Director of Style and Heritage at the Maison. “Following our 270th anniversary, it allows us to honour those who preserve, study and transmit our heritage, while creating new opportunities for exchange and discovery. These watches carry stories that deserve to be told – carefully, respectfully, and in their full depth.”
That notion of transmission sits at the heart of the initiative. Unlike many contemporary awards, there is no financial prize. Winners receive trophies, recognition and, perhaps most importantly, the validation of having contributed to horological culture itself. The awards will be presented in Geneva on 10 November 2026, following the Phillips autumn auctions.
The Concours is co-chaired by Christian Selmoni, Director of Style & Heritage, Vacheron Constantin, and Aurel Bacs, Senior Consultant, Phillips.
There is also something quietly radical in the timing. In an era of feverish speculation and accelerated consumption, the Concours d’Élégance Horlogère proposes slowness. It invites collectors to look again at what they already own, to articulate why a watch matters. Ultimately, the Concours is less about ranking watches than about recalibrating how we talk about them.
Felix Baumgartner, Co-Founder and CEO of URWERK, and a member of the Concours d’Élégance Horlogère, commented: “Mechanical integrity is the foundation of everything we do. It comes from a deep respect for the knowledge and know-how learned at the bench. Heritage, for me, is not about repeating the same old principles, but about preserving values: precision, invention, durability, and coherence between function and design. Contemporary creation only makes sense when it extends this lineage, using today’s tools to express the same timeless rigour.”
In creating a stage where horological elegance takes centre stage, Vacheron Constantin and Phillips have launched a new proposition in the language of excellence, one where time, fittingly, is allowed to take its time.
Registrations are open from 19thJanuary to 30th April 30th, 2026, on vacheron-constantin.com and in the Maison’s boutiques.
Author: Julia Pasarón
Show Comments +