Vacheron Constantin is officially the oldest watch company in Switzerland as it was established in 1755. It was simply called Vacheron untill 1814 when a third generation Vacheron took in a partner by the name of F Constantin to invest and take over the international marketing and sales for the company. From then on Vacheron and Constantin has strived to create only the finest, most complicated and beautiful timepieces in the world. In the 1980s Vacheron Constantin was purchased by the former Saudi Arabian OPEC minister Sheikh Yamani who sold it in 1996 to the Richemont Group (Cartier, Piaget, Baume & Mercier, Jaeger LeCountre and IWC). Vacheron remains the smallest of the super elite brands (Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, Breguet et al) although they are flourishing under new management.