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Vacheron Constantin and Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo have named 34 finalists for the inaugural Concours d’Élégance Horlogère. The finalists were selected from more than 550 submitted watches dating from 1755 to 1999; the public exhibition is scheduled for November 4–8 in Geneva, with winners to be announced November 10, 2026.
Vacheron Constantin and Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo have announced 34 finalist watches for the manufacturer’s inaugural Concours d’Élégance Horlogère, a competition drawing on more than 550 vintage timepieces submitted by owners. The finalists will go on public display in Geneva from November 4 to 8, 2026, before category winners are announced on November 10.
The submitted pocket watches and wristwatches were made by Vacheron Constantin between 1755 and 1999. Following authentication and evaluation by the company’s master watchmakers and Heritage experts, 95 watches advanced to jury review; the panel then chose the 34 finalists. The entries came from owners responding to a competition announced earlier in 2026.
The finalists are divided among seven categories: Chronographs, Métiers d’Art, Chronomètre Royal, Astronomical Complications, Multiple Complications, Design and Chiming Mechanisms. Examples identified in the source report include a steel Reference 4072 chronograph from 1940, a one-off 1957 rectangular platinum watch with a full calendar and moon phase, and a unique 1940 “Don Pancho” minute repeater with a retrograde full date.
The selection also includes cloisonné enamel watches depicting maps of the Americas and Europe, alongside later skeletonized perpetual calendars and world timers. The finalists are due to be exhibited at Hôtel Président Wilson during Phillips’ Geneva auction week. Organizers say the seven category winners will be named November 10; a separate Best in Show—Jury’s Special Prize may also be awarded.
A Wider Measure of Watchmaking
The competition puts privately owned watches and their histories before a public audience, rather than limiting attention to pieces offered for sale. Its stated judging approach also looks beyond market value and technical complexity, considering originality, aesthetics, rarity, technical significance and historical context. That could bring attention to unusual or historically important watches whose value is not captured by a price estimate alone.
The finalist list spans more than two centuries of the company’s production, from early pocket watches through late-20th-century designs. For collectors and enthusiasts, the exhibition offers a chance to see a selected group of historic Vacheron Constantin watches together, while the final awards will show which qualities the jury chose to recognize across the competition’s distinct categories.
vacheron constantin vintage watches
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From Owner Submissions to Finalists
Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo organized the competition with Vacheron Constantin. The source report describes it as the first-ever “Concours d’Élégance” dedicated exclusively to haute horlogerie. The event is tied to the Swiss manufacturer’s 271-year heritage and was framed by organizers as a celebration of collectors and watches preserved across generations.
The selection process had two stages before the public exhibition: specialist authentication and evaluation reduced the submitted field to 95, followed by review from a 14-member international jury. The jury is co-chaired by Aurel Bacs and Christian Selmoni and includes watchmakers, historians, collectors, journalists and industry figures, among them Felix Baumgartner, Benjamin Clymer, Nicholas Foulkes and Alexandre Ghotbi.
Awards and Judging Still Pending
The category winners have not yet been announced; organizers have scheduled their announcement for November 10. The source report does not identify which watches will win or confirm whether the jury will award the optional Best in Show—Jury’s Special Prize.
Although the report names several notable finalists and describes the criteria, it does not provide a complete watch-by-watch list of all 34 finalists or individual jury assessments. It also does not give the watches’ owners, estimates or sale status. The competition’s selection should not be read as a market ranking: the stated criteria include historical and aesthetic considerations as well as technical significance and rarity.
Geneva Exhibition and Awards
The 34 finalists are scheduled for public exhibition at the Hôtel Président Wilson in Geneva from November 4 through November 8, 2026, during Phillips’ Geneva auction week. The seven category winners are due to be announced on November 10. Any decision to award the additional Jury’s Special Prize remains pending.
The exhibition will provide the next opportunity for the public to view the selected watches together. Organizers have not specified further details about access or the format of the awards announcement in the supplied report.
Key Questions
How many watches reached the final?
Thirty-four watches were named finalists. They were selected from more than 550 submissions, after 95 pieces advanced to jury review.
What years do the watches cover?
The submitted Vacheron Constantin watches date from 1755 to 1999 and include both pocket watches and wristwatches.
When and where can the finalists be seen?
The planned public exhibition is at the Hôtel Président Wilson in Geneva from November 4 to 8, 2026, during Phillips’ Geneva auction week.
When will the winners be announced?
The seven category winners are scheduled to be announced on November 10, 2026. Organizers may also award a separate Best in Show—Jury’s Special Prize.
How will the jury judge the watches?
The reported criteria include originality, aesthetics, technical significance, rarity and historical context. The jury is not judging solely on market value or complexity.
Source: rss
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