- By Sophie Furley
Born in 17th-century France, the Concours d’Elégance – literally a “competition of elegance”– began as a pastime of the Parisian aristocracy who would parade their ornate horse-drawn carriages through the city’s parks. Rather than a speed race, contestants were judged on their style and presentation. Over time, the horses disappeared, the carriages became automobiles, and the tradition evolved into a beauty pageant for classic cars.
From Classic Cars to Vintage Timepieces
Today, such contests are more popular than ever, with glamorous classic car events staged around the world, from Goodwood in the UK to Villa d’Este in Italy, and Pebble Beach in the USA, to name a few. The Concours d’Elégance format has also branched out to other motorized vehicles such as motorcycles, yachts, and aircraft, but this new Vacheron Constantin Concours d’Elégance marks a first in the world of vintage watches.
Vacheron Constantin Concours d’Elégance
The Vacheron Constantin Concours d’Elégance, an initiative by Philiips in Association with Bacs & Russo, pays tribute to the global community of watch collectors and enthusiasts by inviting the owners of Vacheron Constantin pocket watches and wristwatches to enter their timepieces into the first Concours d’Elégance devoted to watches.
“As a lifelong enthusiast of the Concours d’Élégance concept, it has long been my dream to bring this concept to fine watchmaking,” shared Aurel Bacs (you identify him later, but shouldny you do it the first time he appears?). “I am delighted that Vacheron Constantin has accepted our invitation to support the world’s very first Concours d’Élégance dedicated to timepieces and I look forward to the inspiring discoveries and scholarly conversations that will emerge from the timepieces entered in this competition.”
The competition is open to both historical and contemporary pieces made between 1755 and 1999 and is divided into the following seven different categories: Chiming Mechanisms, Chronographs, Astronomical Complications, Multiple Complications, Chronomètre Royal, Métiers d’art, and Design.
How to Enter
Owners of Vacheron Constantin timekeepers can register online at vacheron-constantin.com or at any Vacheron Constantin boutique until April 30th 2026. Each watch can only be entered into one category, but each owner is at liberty to choose the category they prefer.
Once inscriptions have closed, a jury will shortlist five timepieces in each category before choosing the seven winners. The jury of 14 watch experts will be presided over by Vacheron Constantin’s Heritage and Style Director Christian Selmoni and Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo’s watch specialist Aurel Bacs.
The timepieces will be evaluated based on nine criteria: authenticity, elegance, rarity, impact on either Vacheron Constantin’s history or on watchmaking in general (or both), provenance, technicity, métiers d’art, state of preservation, and the emotion they evoke. The 35 horological treasures will then be exhibited during the Phillips Geneva Watch Auction: XXIV preview at the Hotel President from November 4th to November 10th, with the winners being announced on November 10th. Each winner will receive a trophy that will add further prestige to their prized timepieces.
For those interested in participating, all the competition regulations and registration details are available on Vacheron Constantin’s dedicated platform.