Founded in the year 1755, the company has remained active ever since, making it the oldest continually active watch manufacturer in the world. It became known as “Vacheron & Constantin” in 1819 and was renamed “Vacheron Constantin” after a 1985 takeover by the former Saudi oil minister, Sheikh Yamani. Vendôme Luxury Group, a subsidiary of Richemont, purchased the company in 1996, bringing it together with Cartier, Piaget, and Baume & Mercier. Today, Vacheron Constantin operates as a “Specialist Watchmaker” under Richemont, along with A. Lange & Söhne, IWC, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Panerai, and others.