Founded in 1755 by Jean-Marc Vacheron, Vacheron Constantin is one of the most prestigious luxury watch brands. Their inventive watchmakers helped to change the field of watchmaking, and they were responsible for converting watch movements to calibres and making the pantographic device.
In modern times, Vacheron Constantin is known for its innovative yet beautiful watches that are made from luxury materials. Many of these watches are decorated with the Maltese Cross that is part of Vacheron’s logo. Keep reading this article to find out why the Vacheron Constantin logo uses this design and discover more about their logo design history.
Vacheron Constantin Logo Design Elements
At the top of the Vacheron Constantin logo is a Maltese Cross, which looks like a symmetrical, four armed cross with eight pointed tips. This symbol has been a part of the Vacheron Constantin logo since the 1870s. Beneath the cross is the brand name which is centered along the first C in “Constantin.”
The brand name is written in a neo-grotesque font that is characterized by tall, san-serif letters with even, geometric shapes. Only capital letters are used, which makes the brand name stand out more. In some instances, the logo also includes the city of origin, “Geneve,” in smaller lettering below the brand name. The entire logo is generally a soft golden brown color that looks luxurious yet understated. Its background may be either black or white. These elements make the Vacheron Constantin logo very similar to the Patek Philippe logo, which uses a font from the same family, and the same basic logo design elements.
Changes and Evolution
1. Shape
Over the years, Vacheron Constantin’s logo shape has changed many times. In some versions, the Maltese cross is bigger, smaller, or missing altogether. In other styles, the cross has been located to the left of the brand name, or centered between the words “Vacheron” and “Constantin.” There was a brief experiment with using horse shoes in place of the cross, before Vacheron went back to using the Maltese Cross.
The text in the logo has also changed. Some logos included the date of founding or more details about the company. Older versions of the logo tended to say connect the two names with an ampersand signal or the Latin word “Et” because the company was called “Vacheron and Constantin.” Any symbol to join the names was eventually removed when the brand name was simplified.
2. Color
Most versions of Vacheron Constantin’s logo have been black on a white background. However, the company may occasionally portray the logo in gold, white, silver, or grey to match different watch or advertising color schemes.
3. Font
Earlier versions of the Vacheron Constantin logo had a curling script font that was similar to many other logos used by Swiss tradesmen. By the early 1900s, this had been streamlined to a classic Roman font. The font was made even sleeker when the serifs were removed, and it turned into a thin, san-serif font very similar to the one in use today. In modern times, the same font shape is used, but the signature Vacheron Constantin font now has thicker and bolder lines.
Influences/Inspiration
The Maltese cross on the logo is technically a heraldic device used by the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, but it was actually selected for the Vacheron Constantin logo for different reasons. This symbol was picked by the company because it looks like a component of the watch. It bears a remarkable similarity to the barrel that limits tension within the mainspring. The recent decision to start using more gold for the company logo colors was inspired by a few other popular watch logos because it is more colorful than a basic black and white color scheme without being too flashy.
Trivia
- Vacheron Constantin got its name because the Vacheron family partnered up with Francois Constantin in 1819 when they realized they needed an associate who could travel to other countries to market their watches.
- The Vacheron Constantin logo bears many similarities to the Patek Philippe logo, which is also golden brown and also has a squared cross centered above a brand name, but Patek Philippe was founded much later.
- In their many years of business, Vacheron Constantin has had over 50 logos.
Conclusion
The stylish Vacheron Constantin logo combines a signature company image with the brand name to appeal to many consumers. You can find the many design elements of this logo in the various components of the luxury watches produced by Vacheron Constantin. This logo looks sleek and elegant like all other Vacheron Constantin products.
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