Vacheron Constantin

1885 V&C watch presented to King Umberto I of Italy

The House of Savoy had deep roots in Geneva and a long association with Vacheron & Constantin.  The Duke of Genoa, Prince of Naples, Duke of Abruzzi, King Victor Emanuel, Queen Marguerite, Emanuel III, and Umberto I were Savoyard patrons of V&C.  I'll re-share some details from my earlier post; Proud Possession of Royalty Since 1755:

One can easily follow certain threads in this list to recognize a special relationship with the House of Savoy.  When Jean-Marc Vacheron began his watchmaking dynasty in 1755, Charles Emanuel III was the Duke of Savoy and King of Sardinia.  Victor Emmanuel was crowned King of Italy in 1861, creating the first unified state to rule over the entire peninsula since Roman times.  The House of Savoy continued to rule Italy through the Italian Independence Wars and the First World War.

Historically, the House of Savoy originated in the 11th century in the Western Alps bordering on Lac Lèman and included the territories within present-day France and Italy.  The Savoy's Swiss presence began in 1394, when they acquired the bishopric of Geneva, and ended with the Protestant Reformation.  This history is well illustrated by the Tour de l'Ille, once a gate tower to the Savoyard Bishop's chateau then a prison and guardhouse before being leased by Vacheron & Constantin in 1844.  Positioned in defiance against its walls is the statue of Genevan patriot Philibert Berthelier who was executed at the tower in 1519 for plotting with the Huguenots in rebellion against Savoyard rule.

Today's litigants are the elderly descendants of Umberto II who inherited the crown when his father Victor Emmanuel III abdicated in 1946 over his close associations with the Fascist movement and its dictator Mussolini.  Umberto managed to hang on for 34 days before the Italian constitution was amended by popular referendum to exile all male descendants of the House of Savoy.  Umberto died in 1983 at Geneva, age 78.  The prohibition was lifted in 2002, allowing Umberto's descendants to return.

According to a story published in Vogue in February 2024; The Mysterious True Story Behind Italy's Hidden Royal Jewels, the jewels were transferred from the royal palace to a bank in 1943 when Victor Emmanuel fled Rome after signing the Italian surrender.  The German army swept in and soon began hunting for the treasure.  An officer appeared with an order from Hitler but bank officials said the King had left with the jewels.  A search of the vault turned up nothing, the contents having been moved to an adjoining building via a secret tunnel and sealed inside a wall.  Although I cannot find a published inventory, the treasure was evaluated in 1976, with the help Gianni Bulgari, and the present value of €300 million was suggested.  I find it pleasing to imagine a jewel-encrusted V&C timepiece nestled amongst the tiaras, bracelets, and gems ;-)

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