Vacheron Constantin Marks 270 Years With Les Cabinotiers “La Quête”

Summary

• Vacheron Constantin marks its 270th anniversary with Les Cabinotiers “La Quête”, a series of unique astronomical and mythological timepieces
• The collection unites grand complications with métiers d’art, with each watch narrating themes of cosmos, mythology and heroism

To mark its 270th anniversary, Vacheron Constantin unveils Les Cabinotiers “La Quête”, a new series of unique timepieces that embody the Maison’s enduring pursuit of excellence in both watchmaking and the decorative arts. Inspired by astronomy and the great odysseys of antiquity, these creations push the boundaries of technical ingenuity and artistic expression, uniting grand complications with métiers d’art such as engraving, enameling, gem-setting, and miniature sculpture. Each watch in the collection represents a singular narrative—whether drawn from mythology, celestial science, or heroic legend — while showcasing the brand’s mastery of complex movements and its ability to transform timekeeping into a canvas for storytelling.

Les Cabinotiers Armillary Tourbillon “Myth of the Pleiades”

The Les Cabinotiers “Myth of the Pleiades” timepiece takes its inspiration from the Greek legend of the seven sisters pursued by the hunter Orion, until Zeus immortalized them as a constellation in the night sky. Conceived as a unique-piece edition, the watch is housed in a meticulously engraved 18K rose gold case, requiring an extraordinary 450 hours of hand engraving in exquisite bas-relief to bring the mythological narrative to life.

The case depicts Orion’s pursuit, the constellation of Taurus acting as a protective barrier and the celestial ship Argos sailing across waves. The artistic vision is completed by the gem-setter, who places ten brilliant-cut diamonds to precisely represent the stars of the Pleiades. The openworked dial features a bi-retrograde time indication on the right side, seamlessly blending the distinctly architectural layout with the kinetic spectacle of the tourbillon on the left.

At the core of this horological creation lies the hand-wound Calibre 1990, a manufacture movement derived from the legendary Reference 57260 and safeguarded by four patents. This mechanism unites the bi-retrograde hours and minutes with a bi-axial armillary tourbillon, visible beneath a sapphire dome at 9 o’clock. The tourbillon’s nested aluminum cages rotate on two axes, forming a Maltese cross every 15 seconds.

Les Cabinotiers Cosmica Duo Grand Complication

This reversible, double-sided watch is a single-piece edition that showcases 24 complications, primarily astronomical functions, alongside a minute repeater and a tourbillon regulator. Housed in an 18k white gold case measuring 47 mm in diameter and just a little over 20mm thick, the watch’s originality lies in its reversible design, allowing the wearer to instantly switch between two worlds: a celestial dial and an open-worked mechanical face.

It’s powered by the new Manufacture Calibre 2756-B1, a complex manual-winding movement composed of 1,003 components that took four years to develop. One side of the watch features a stunning ultramarine blue dial with a sidereal journey, including a Northern Hemisphere sky chart that rotates to reproduce the movement of the constellations, as well as a perpetual calendar. The reverse side presents a “solar” mechanical vision, revealing the skeletonized caliber with champagne-colored components and displaying the running equation of time (showing true solar time and mean civil time simultaneously), sunrise and sunset times, and a high-precision moon phase that requires correction only once every 1,000 years. The ergonomic case features articulated lugs and a centrally placed minute repeater lever to maintain symmetry regardless of which side is worn.

Les Cabinotiers Grand Complication High Jewelry “Moon Dust”

This high jewelry Les Cabinotiers wristwatch boasts an 18k white gold build that’s fitting for its ethereal name, Moon Dust. Measuring 47 mm in diameter by 19.1 mm in thickness, the double-sided case is adorned with an intricate combination of engraving, gem-setting and guilloché work. Its celestial theme is brought to life through over 200 baguette-cut diamonds and 165 brilliant-cut diamonds, evoking the shimmer of moon dust and cosmic journeys. The front dial features a hand-guilloché blue surface with black opaline accents, while the reverse side reveals a celestial chart of the Northern Hemisphere, underscoring the watch’s astronomical inspiration.

At its heart lies the Calibre 2755 GC16, a hand-wound movement comprising 839 components and offering 16 complications, including a tourbillon regulator, minute repeater, perpetual calendar, equation of time, sunrise and sunset times, sidereal hours, moon phases as well as zodiac indications. Beating at 18,000 vibrations per hour with a 58-hour power reserve, the calibre is a direct descendant of the Tour de l’Île movement created for the Maison’s 250th anniversary.

Les Cabinotiers Celestia Astronomical Grand Complication: “Homage to Ptolemy” & “Homage to Copernicus”

In honoring the great astronomers who redefined our understanding of the universe, Vacheron Constaintin dedicates two unique Les Cabinotiers Celestia Astronomical Grand Complication time-tellers,the “Homage to Ptolemy” and the “Homage to Copernicus.” The duo embody competing theories of celestial mechanics: Ptolemy’s Earth-centered universe and Copernicus’s heliocentric revelation. Housed in meticulously hand-engraved 45mm cases – white gold for Ptolemy and pink gold for Copernicus – the watches combine 23 astronomical complications and required 240 hours of hand-engraving per watch.

The artistry is evident in the champlevé engraving on the cases, where the Ptolemy edition depicts geocentric orbits circling the Earth, while the Copernicus edition features solar orbits radiating outward from a central crown, celebrating the enduring human quest to understand the cosmos.
At the heart of both double-sided timepieces beats the Calibre 3600, a hand-wound movement composed of 514 components and boasting a three-week power reserve. This movement is a triumph of mechanical miniaturization, measuring a mere 8.7mm thick despite controlling 23 complications, including three distinct gear trains for civil, solar and sidereal time.

Les Cabinotiers Homage to Epic Warriors Minute Repeater

The Les Cabinotiers Homage to Epic Warriors Minute Repeater is a series of four unique timepieces that celebrate legendary figures from history and mythology through the union of high watchmaking and decorative artistry. Each 41mm case, crafted in hand‑engraved 18K gold, houses the ultra‑thin Calibre 1731 minute repeater movement. The dials, executed in 18K 2N yellow gold, combine intricate hand‑engraving with grand feu miniature enamel painting, depicting warriors such as Alexander the Great, Antar, Genghis Khan and Sasaki Moritsuna in vivid detail against engraved landscapes that evoke their legendary exploits.

The artistic craftsmanship required for these pièces uniques is extraordinary, with more than 300 hours devoted to each watch. The enamel work alone demands multiple layers of pigment and repeated high‑temperature firings to achieve depth and nuance, while the engraving provides texture and light effects that enhance the miniature scenes. The Calibre 1731, certified with the Hallmark of Geneva, underscores Vacheron Constantin’s mastery of chiming complications, producing a pure, harmonious sound regulated by a silent flying strike governor.

Les Cabinotiers “The Labours Of Heracles”

“The Labours of Heracles” series comsists of a quartet of single-piece edition watches that pay tribute to the legendary feats of the titular Greco-Roman hero through a fusion of high watchmaking and decorative artistry. Each timepiece is attired in a 40mm 18K white gold case and powered by the self-winding Calibre 1120 AT, an ultra-thin movement with a satellite hours module that enables a wandering hours display across a fixed minute scale. This original configuration leaves the dial as a canvas for artistic expression, combining grand feu enamel miniature painting, hand-engraving and micro-sculpture to depict scenes from Heracles’ epic labors. The lower dial sector features a hand-engraved and enamelled map of Greece, while the upper section presents a vivid enamel landscape against which a finely sculpted white gold figure of Heracles battles mythological beasts.

The enamel work on the dial requires multiple layers of firing at high temperatures, while the micro-sculpted Heracles appliqué – just 0.5 mm thick -demands around 40 hours of engraving to achieve lifelike detail in musculature, expression, and movement. Each watch is completed with a Mississippiensis alligator strap in colors complementing the depicted labor and a 22K gold oscillating weight engraved with a tapestry motif inspired by Greek friezes.

Click here to view full gallery at Hypebeast