There are watches, and then there are worlds. In honour of its 270th anniversary, Vacheron Constantin invites us into two distinct horological universes – each a tribute to time, artistry, and the Maison’s eternal bond with Geneva. One is a celebration of cosmic complexity; the other, a poetic homage to place. Both are reminders that time, in the right hands, becomes art.
Les Cabinotiers Solaria Ultra Grand Complication – La Première
Let’s start with a record-breaker. With 41 complications, 13 patent applications, and 1,521 individual components, the Solaria Ultra Grand Complication is the most complex wristwatch Vacheron Constantin has ever created – and yes, it’s wearable. At 45mm in diameter and just under 15mm thick, this white gold marvel is a study in elegant excess.
But this isn’t just about numbers. The Solaria is designed to read not one, but three kinds of time – civil, solar, and sidereal – reflected across two dials in a visual symphony of polished metals, sapphire discs, and shifting celestial maps. On the front, a glowing Earth dome turns opposite a miniature sun. On the back, sidereal time and constellations move in real time beneath green and red chronograph hands, marking the passage of stars.
Beyond timekeeping, it sings. A Westminster minute repeater, refined to amplify resonance without sacrificing space, fills the air with musical chimes. Meanwhile, a world-first celestial tracking mechanism allows you to time the arrival of your favourite constellation. Astronomical poetry, made mechanical.
Despite its complexity, everything is considered – each dial optimised for clarity, every texture deliberate. From rhodium-plated indexes to sandblasted oceans, the design language is rich, minimal, and unmistakably Vacheron.
Les Cabinotiers Tribute to the Tour de l’Île
In contrast to the Solaria’s technical bravado, the Tribute to the Tour de l’Île collection speaks in the language of stillness. Three single-edition watches, each cased in a slender 40mm frame, showcase Geneva’s iconic Tour de l’Île through the lens of rare handcrafts. These are not complications – they’re contemplations.
One dial is rendered entirely in Grand Feu enamel, a whisper-soft watercolour scene reimagined in fire and pigment. Another marries guilloché engraving with enamel, balancing texture and tone in architectural harmony. The third is pure sculpture: an 18K pink gold dial engraved in bas-relief, its fine details – rooftops, windows, even a rooster – rising like memories from the metal.
The movements beneath are as refined as the artistry above. Self-winding Calibre 2460 movements visible through officer-style casebacks, each certified with the Geneva Seal, a guarantee of origin and excellence.
These are watches as love letters – to craft, to city, to legacy. Quietly powerful, deeply personal, and etched in time.
