Launching in November at the invitation of Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo, the Vacheron Constantin Concours d’Élégance Horlogère is the world’s first competition dedicated entirely to timepieces, marking a decisive shift in how haute horlogerie is valued. In the world of classic automobiles, the Concours d’Élégance has long been the arbiter of taste, history and provenance. Now, that rarefied concept is entering fine watchmaking for the very first time under the stewardship of Vacheron Constantin.
Seven prizes will be awarded in Geneva on 10 November 2026, following the Phillips autumn auctions, by an international jury co-chaired by Aurel Bacs, Senior Consultant at Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo, and Christian Selmoni, Vacheron Constantin’s Director of Style and Heritage. There is no prize money, by design. Here, prestige lies in recognition alone. Open to collectors worldwide who own Vacheron Constantin pocket watches or wristwatches, the Concours is a global call to those who preserve, study and transmit horological heritage.
The competition is open to Vacheron Constantin timepieces produced between 1755 and 1999, encompassing both pocket watches and wristwatches. Quartz pieces, clocks and heavily modified watches are excluded. Eligible entries will be judged across nine criteria, including authenticity, elegance, rarity, provenance, technical complexity, métiers d’art, state of preservation, historical impact and emotional resonance. Each watch may be entered into one of seven categories, ranging from chiming mechanisms and chronographs to astronomical complications, multiple complications, Chronomètre Royal models, métiers d’art creations and design-led pieces that exemplify the Maison’s distinctive visual language, from retrograde displays to world-time innovations.
The jury itself reflects that cross-disciplinary ambition. Alongside Bacs and Selmoni, it brings together an exceptional assembly of watchmakers, historians, collectors, journalists and cultural figures, including Benjamin Clymer, Nicholas Foulkes, Auro Montanari, Felix Baumgartner, Wei Koh, Roberta Naas, SJX, and Yasmine AlShathry, founder of CLÉ and a leading voice in cultivating watch culture in Saudi Arabia. Registration opens 19 January and closes 30 April 2026, available via Vacheron Constantin boutiques worldwide or at vacheron-constantin.com.
