Vacheron Constantin is widely regarded as the oldest continuously operating watch manufacturer, founded in 1755.
Jean-Marc Vacheron established a watchmaking workshop in Geneva in 1755. The company later became associated with François Constantin, whose involvement helped shape the Vacheron & Constantin name used during much of its history.
The maison is known for complicated mechanical watches, hand finishing and long-running Geneva watchmaking traditions. Its heritage includes pocket watches, minute repeaters, perpetual calendars and other high-complexity mechanisms.
The phrase “oldest continuously operating” matters because many older watch businesses changed ownership, stopped production or were founded as different kinds of companies. Breguet began in 1775, Patek Philippe in 1839 and Audemars Piguet in 1875, so their dates do not match Vacheron Constantin’s 1755 origin.