Every great legacy begins with a foundational moment upon which all future successes are built. For Vacheron Constantin, that moment came in 1755, when 24-year-old master watchmaker Jean-Marc Vacheron signed his first apprentice, confirming his commitment to hand down his knowledge and skill. The tradition thus established has continued for the past 270 years, with each generation of Vacheron Constantin watchmakers imparting their expertise, passion and creativity to the next.

Strengthened by this unbroken chain, Vacheron Constantin is the oldest continually operating watch manufacturer in the world. Yet the Maison has never been content to rest on the laurels of its long legacy, instead always striving for constant progress. “Do better if possible, and that is always possible,” François Constantin urged his new partner, Jacques Barthélémi Vacheron, Jean-Marc’s grandson, in an 1819 note. Those rousing words of challenge and encouragement remain the Maison’s motto to this day.

Vacheron Constantin continues to produce some of the most intricate, beautiful and technically complex watches the world has ever seen, consistently pushing the boundaries of possibility. And every ten years, they raise the bar even higher. To mark each milestone anniversary, the Maison releases both new and historic models designed to celebrate the moment and honour Vacheron Constantin history at the same time as they propel the brand toward an ever-brighter future.

“While talking about the Maison’s remarkable heritage is one thing, putting it into practice is another,” says Vacheron Constantin Style & Heritage Director Christian Selmoni. “Each of these anniversaries is marked by timepieces that perfectly illustrate the values cultivated within the Manufacture since 1755.”

As 2025 ushers in 270 years of Vacheron Constantin tradition and innovation, the Maison has lined up a number of exceptional releases for the occasion.

Celebrating Tradition: Historiques 222

Fittingly, the celebrations began with the much-anticipated reissue of the iconic Historiques 222. This model, designed by Jorg Hysek and first unveiled in 1977 to commemorate the brand’s 222nd anniversary, encapsulated the spirit of 1970s aesthetics while representing a departure from traditional sports watch design. Inside, it housed a Calibre 1120, which at just 3.05mm was the world’s thinnest full-rotor automatic movement.

This re-edition, featuring a blue dial framed by a 37mm stainless steel case, maintains the visual language of its predecessor yet also benefits from several technical enhancements. The in-house Calibre 2455/2, for instance, offers improved precision and a 40-hour power reserve, while keeping a slender profile at 3.6mm thick. Its oscillating weight is engraved with the original 222 logo, and the movement is visible through a transparent sapphire caseback bearing an emblem that pays homage to the 270th anniversary.

Celebrating Creativity: Traditionnelle Openface Limited Editions

To honour 270 years of innovation and technical mastery, Vacheron Constantin has released three Traditionnelle limited edition watches boasting openworked dials and retrograde displays – two of the Maison’s prized signatures.

The Traditionnelle Perpetual Calendar Retrograde Date Openface is powered by a new self-winding 5.45mm-thick Calibre 2460 QPR31/270 movement with two complications: a retrograde date display and a perpetual calendar, including a precision moon-phase display. The Traditionnelle Tourbillon Retrograde Date Openface, meanwhile, features a self-winding Calibre 2162 R31/270 operating at 18,000 vibrations per hour and measuring just 6.35mm thick. It combines a tourbillon at 6 o'clock with a retrograde date, whose elaborate mechanisms can be glimpsed through the openworked dial. Also revealing its intricate workings through the dial, the Traditionnelle Complete Calendar Openface is equipped with a 312-component, self-winding Calibre 2460 QCL/270, which offers triple calendar indications (day of the week, date and month), as well as a precision moon-phase display.

“These three anniversary timepieces clearly demonstrate the quest for mechanical excellence and aesthetic beauty that has driven Vacheron Constantin since 1755,” says Selmoni. “They also embody our core value of transmitting and perpetuating traditional watchmaking expertise, taking it to new levels that express a subtle blend of heritage and innovation, technical mastery and bold aesthetics.”

Celebrating Haute Horlogerie: Traditionnelle Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar

A timepiece for a true connoisseur: with its complex new calibre and exquisite signature hand-guilloché dial, the exclusive limited edition Traditionnelle Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar owes much to the classical Haute Horlogerie of 18th-century Geneva, at the same time as it embodies the Vacheron Constantin mission to constantly move forward.

Sporting a slim silhouette at 6.55mm thick, the new self-winding manufacture Calibre 2162 QP/270 still manages to combine two challenging Haute Horlogerie complications, a perpetual calendar and a gravity-balancing tourbillon regulator. The watch cuts a fine figure in its 42mm case moulded from 950 platinum, proudly displaying its Maltese cross-inspired hand-guilloché dial. A subtle anniversary emblem engraving on the calibre gives a nod to the 270th celebrations.

Selmoni notes: “As a testament to the Maison’s ability to continually reinvent itself while remaining faithful to its traditions, the Traditionnelle Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar strikes the right balance between our aesthetic and technical heritage and the new history that we are currently writing.”

Only 127 individually numbered pieces of this model will be produced.

Celebrating Excellence: Traditionnelle and Patrimony Collections

The Vacheron Constantin credo of honouring the past while looking to the future is further encapsulated in the eight new releases belonging to the Traditionnelle and Patrimony Collections. This year, each classic line expands by four new models issued in limited runs of either 270 or 370 individually numbered pieces.

Propagating the traditions of Haute Horlogerie, the Traditionnelle collection blends exacting technical standards with exquisite horological aesthetics. These markers can be seen in the line’s 270th anniversary additions, three new Traditionnelle Manual-Winding pieces and a Traditionnelle Moon Phase. The minimalist Patrimony Collection, by contrast, takes its cues from the ultra-thin, round Vacheron Constantin timepieces of the 1950s, which are evident in the two Patrimony Moon Phase Retrograde Date and two Patrimony Self-Winding models released this year.

Uniting the limited editions across both collections are a number of design details conceived specially for the 270th anniversary, from the ‘côte unique’ finish on the bridges of each calibre, to the anniversary engraving on each movement, as well as the geometric dial pattern inspired by the Maltese Cross – the Maison’s emblem for nearly 150 years.

According to Sandrine Donguy, Product & Innovation Director, the Traditionnelle and Patrimony lines exemplify the craftsmanship inherent in each Vacheron Constantin watch, as well as their unique nature. “These classic collections are elevated by signature complications, including the retrograde date display, and subtle details, such as the Patrimony's domed dial; and the Traditionnelle’s fluted caseback,” she says. “These unexpected twists give each piece a distinctive character, making it a natural decision to honour these timeless designs.”