This is SUPERLATIVE: A Podcast about watches, the people behind them, and the worlds that inspire them. This week our host and aBlogtoWatch Founder Ariel Adams sits down with Alexander Schmiedt, the President of the Americas at Vacheron Constantin. To start the show, Ariel asks Alexander how he ended up working for Vacheron Constantin, and the two discuss Alexander’s family’s involvement in the watch industry and how it has changed throughout the years. From there, the conversation gets into Vacheron Constantin’s Les Cabinotiers department, the creation of bespoke timepieces, and what criteria the brand takes into consideration when deciding which bespoke timepiece projects to accept.

The conversation then shifts to the history of Vacheron Constantin, and how the company has managed to continue to exist throughout the years, before diving into a brief overview of the new models to join the catalog from Watches and Wonders 2022. Ariel and Alexander talk about the importance of female collectors to Vacheron Constantin as a brand, and the two get into a discussion about Vacheron’s approach to complicated watches, and Alexander’s reaction to seeing some of today’s collectors discover the classic design of the Vacheron Constantin 222 for the very first time. Rounding out the show, is a discussion of the brand’s Metiers d’Art watches and a closer look at the greater creative process at Vacheron Constantin.

Stay up-to-date with Alexander Schmiedt and Vacheron Constantin:

• Instagram: @Vacheronconstantin
• Twitter: @Vacheron1755
• Website: https://www.vacheron-constantin.com/

Show Notes:

• 01:20 — How Alexander started working at Vacheron Constantin.
• 03:27 — Alexander’s family history within the watch industry.
• 11:34 — Vacheron Constantin’s Les Cabinotiers department and the creation of bespoke timepieces.
• 17:45 — How Vacheron Constantin chooses which one-of-a-kind projects to accept.
• 19:54 — Why the Les Cabinotiers and bespoke timepieces are important to Vacheron Constantin.
• 24:16 — About Vacheron Constantin’s Les Collectionneurs and the guarantee to be able to repair any of its timepieces.
• 33:15 — How Vacheron Constantin continues to learn as a company.
• 34:41 — The history of Vacheron Constantin and how it has managed to survive throughout the years.
• 43:01 — What kind of customers are most interested in Vacheron Constantin?
• 44:20 — An overview of the new models from Watches and Wonders 2022.
• 47:00 — The importance of female collectors to Vacheron Constantin and the history of women’s watches within the brand’s catalog.
• 50:12 — Attention to detail and the importance of a well-designed case.
• 52:51 — The role that complicated watches play at Vacheron Constantin.
• 55:52 — Alexander’s reaction to seeing modern collectors discover the Vacheron Constantin 222.
• 58:09 — Vacheron Constantin’s Metiers d’Art watches and a closer look at the creative process.