A special 270th anniversary Vacheron Constantin exhibition has arrived in Sydney – for three nights only!

Jamie Weiss

Watchmakers love celebrating anniversary years, but not all anniversaries are as meaningful as others. 2025, however, marks Vacheron Constantin’s 270th anniversary, with the esteemed brand being the oldest continuously operating watchmaker in the world. Fittingly, 2025 has seen some serious horological celebrations debuted by the Maison – including a revived 222 in stainless steel, the most complicated wristwatch ever made, and special hand-guilloché anniversary dials entering the range.

Vacheron Constantin is also marking its 270th year with ‘The Quest: 270 years of seeking excellence’, a new public exhibition taking place in major cities around the world that commemorates the Maison’s nearly three centuries of being at the pinnacle of mechanical watchmaking – and it’s made its way Down Under, appearing in the heart of Sydney.

Hosted in Machine Hall, a formerly disused industrial building that’s been transformed into one of Sydney’s most impressive event spaces, Vacheron Constantin has taken advantage of Machine Hall’s high ceilings and expanses to craft a truly quest-like journey into the heart of what makes VC such a compelling brand. As you enter through the Maltese Cross-adorned doors, a dramatic ceiling-length art piece invites you down into the depths of the hall, with the exhibition divided into four areas: The Beginning, Artistic Crafts and Finishes, High Watchmaking and The Quest.

Descend down the spiral staircase and you’ll be met with a real treat: an array of historically significant Vacheron Constantin timepieces that were last exhibited at Watches and Wonders Geneva. Some highlights of these include an ultra-thin “Disco Volante” pocket watch from 1959; two 19th-century pocket watches, one highly complicated calendar model and another exquisite flinqué dial jumping hours example; as well as pieces from 2024’s Métiers d’Art Legend of the Chinese Zodiac Year of the Snake collection.

Of course, there’s also plenty of modern high-end Vacheron Constantin watches on hand, too, including the new Traditionnelle Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar, both versions of the Overseas Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin Skeleton, as well as the in-demand Historiques 222.

For those who aren’t dyed-in-the-wool watch nuts, there’s still plenty to enjoy at the exhibition. One display that really stood out to me was a 3D cutaway breakdown of the Les Cabinotiers Berkley Grand Complication’s calibre 3752, the most complicated watch movement in the world, boasting 63 complications. Visualising each layer of this groundbreaking timepiece’s movement, showing just how complex it is… There’s few better ways to demonstrate how singular Vacheron Constantin is.

Vacheron Constantin’s ‘The Quest: 270 years of seeking excellence’ exhibition is open to the public from Wednesday, 11th June to Friday, 13th June 2025 at Machine Hall, 183-185 Clarence Street, Sydney NSW 2000. Opening hours are from 11 AM to 6 PM (last entry is at 5 PM). Entry is free – all you have to do is register online here. Whether you’re a VC aficionado or a novice keen to learn more about watchmaking from one of the best in the game, it’s something you don’t want to miss out on.