On a sunny September afternoon in Hong Kong’s Central Business District, Tatler met with Christian Selmoni, Vacheron Constantin’s heritage and style director, to chat about the maison’s prolific history over a cup of coffee. Founded in 1755, Vacheron Constantin is not only one of the oldest watch manufacturer in continuous operation but also a pioneer in horological innovation. As we discussed the evolution of wristwatches, Selmoni highlighted a few milestone moments in world history that shaped the designs of the celebrated watches we have come to love; from the First World War to the Roaring Twenties and beyond.
Through this dialogue, we uncovered how Vacheron Constantin’s commitment to craftsmanship and innovation has allowed it to thrive amidst changing times, solidifying its place at the pinnacle of fine watchmaking.
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This year’s Overseas model launched at Watches and Wonders in Geneva (Photo: courtesy of Vacheron Constantin)
Let’s start with the impact of the First World War on the designs of timepieces at Vacheron Constantin.Wristwatches arrived in the second half of the 19th century, and they were 100 per cent dedicated to women. I remember reading an article in a Swiss watchmaking journal which said their accuracy is questionable, but they are good enough for ladies; and that no serious gentleman would ever [wear one]. The journalist was wrong. Wristwatches started to be adopted by men [who were mostly] aristocrats. Their popularity grew [around] the First World War because soldiers started to wear timepieces on their wrists for convenience.
What models from that era stand out?The American 1921 comes to mind. This timepiece was created in the Roaring Twenties, right after the First World War. Everyone on the planet wanted to forget about this horrible time, turning this into a decade of extreme creativity in art, architecture, design, music and obviously watches. In 1917, the representative office of the US [Army] Corps of Engineers wrote letters to Vacheron Constantin [ordering] 5,000 silver pocket watches with chronographs. This was fantastic. We did not sell all 5,000 because the war was over in 1918, but I think we delivered around 3,768 of [them].
How did the quartz crisis of the 1970s impact the brand?Swiss watchmakers had to reinvent their own watchmaking because quartz standardisation offered a higher degree of precision than any mechanical timepiece, at a fraction of the price. I witnessed that because I was born in a family of watchmakers in Vallée de Joux, so that was a really, really hard time. The 1970s was a super interesting decade for design; Vacheron Constantin launched its first sport elegant collection in 1977: the 222, available in three sizes. Sports watches were not the norm back then. During hard times, you challenge yourself to create things [to attract new] clientele. This era and reference [became] an inspiration for our Overseas collection.
The latest iteration of the Lady Kalla was launched this year at Watches and Wonders in Geneva (Photo: courtesy of Vacheron Constantin)
How did Vacheron balance modernity with heritage in the 1980s?It took time for the quartz [movement] to really develop industrially, so I think the 1980s was the most difficult decade for us, [when] we were trying to do alternative designs. We launched the 333, which was a wonderful design but wasn’t that successful because it was a bit too far from the classic style of the maison. We survived [that era] because of jewellery watches; in the Eighties, ladies were 50 per cent of our clientele. The Lady Kalla was one emblematic [jewellery] watch from that era that was super interesting. Then we launched the perpetual calendar wristwatch in 1984. That was also an answer to our [struggles].
What was the Nineties like for Vacheron Constantin?The Nineties was really the rebirth of fine watchmaking. In this era, the primary function [of a watch] was the possibility to wear a beautiful object on your wrist made by craftsmen and craftswomen. The secondary function was a watch which tells you the time. This rebirth was made possible by the influence of classic watch collectors, a niche that rediscovered the value of classic timepieces. It was a big wake-up call, and everyone started to do complications again.
How do you think the collectors of today differ from the collectors of the Nineties, and why is it important to surround yourself with these enthusiasts?There is a huge difference. In the 1990s, watch collectors were a niche [group] … today, it’s very different. The popularity of fine watchmaking really exploded during the 2000s with the introduction of fashion brands in fine watchmaking, so a lot of [fashion] fans started [investing]. I think the internet has been the biggest gamechanger. Knowledge about watchmaking was no longer only available in books or conferences or lectures, but [easily accessed] online, so we started to see watchmaking forums [becoming] huge.
In the Nineties, a friend introduced me to the website purists.com, which was written by watch geeks. In one of their articles, they wrote: “Why do [Vacheron Constantin] continue to write [the word] ‘automatic’ on their dials? Do they think we are so stupid that we don’t know if it is automatic or not?” So, I said: this guy is right. That is so stupid. From that day, we stopped writing ‘automatic’ on our watches. So yes, watch geeks are very important.
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