Vacheron Constantin

Founded in 1755 by Jean-Marc Vacheron, an independent watchmaker in Geneva who was a close friend of Enlightenment philosophers Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Voltaire. In 1770, the company created the world's first horological complication. Abraham Vacheron, Jean-Marc's son, took over in 1785, followed by grandson Jacques-Barthélemy in 1810. In 1819, François Constantin joined as a partner, and the company became 'Vacheron & Constantin.' Constantin traveled worldwide marketing watches, primarily to North America. In 1833, they hired inventor Georges-Auguste Leschot, who standardized watch movements into calibers. The Maltese cross symbol was adopted in 1880, inspired by a barrel component. The company was reorganized as a joint-stock company in 1887. During the Great Depression, Charles Constantin led the company until Georges Ketterer acquired majority stock in 1940. Following the quartz crisis, Sheikh Ahmed Zaki Yamani became majority shareholder in 1987. Richemont acquired the company in 1996. In 2004, new headquarters designed by Bernard Tschumi opened in Plan-les-Ouates.