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Mechanical complexity laid bare
A single piece edition revealing the beauty of the legendary Calibre 2755 TMR SQ with tourbillon and minute repeater
One year of development dedicated to skeletonizing the movement
Components enhanced by Haute Horlogerie finishing
Calibre 2755 is one of Vacheron Constantin's emblematic movements. Designed to accommodate the noblest complications of Haute Horlogerie, it integrates a tourbillon regulator and a minute repeater mechanism. True to its spirit of innovation, the Maison now presents a skeletonized version of this movement, an achievement that required one full year of development.
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To highlight both the skeletonization and the finishing work, the single piece edition Les Cabinotiers Minute Repeater Tourbillon Skeleton features an exterior design of striking restraint. Its 18-carat (4N) gold case measures 45 mm in diameter and 12 mm in thickness. The bezel and caseback are subtly concave, enhancing the perception of slenderness. Inside, a transparent sapphire dial offers an unobstructed view of the tourbillon. This dial is complemented by two peripheral silver-toned gold rings. The first, with a circular satin finish, serves as a flange. The second, finer ring is fluted and concentric. The ink-filled minute track on the sapphire appears in a deep blue hue, echoed by the circular satin-finished ring surrounding the tourbillon for the seconds display. Eleven precisely applied 18-carat gold baton-type hour markers complete the composition.
A grand complication calibre
Developed for Vacheron Constantin's 250th anniversary in 2005, Calibre 2750 gave rise to the Tour de l'Île, the most complicated serially produced wristwatch of its time, uniting 16 complications. This tourbillon movement subsequently underwent several years of research and development to adapt its architecture for the integration of major Haute Horlogerie complications. In 2007, these efforts culminate in the launch of the Patrimony Traditionnelle Calibre 2755, equipped with a tourbillon, minute repeater and perpetual calendar — at the time the most complex model in the Vacheron Constantin catalogue. Building on this development, Vacheron Constantin introduces in 2026 the Calibre 2755 TMR SQ with tourbillon and minute repeater in a skeletonized version.
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The striking mechanism is based on the original flying centripetal regulator developed for Calibre 2755. This regulator controls the musical sequences so that the notes chimed for hours, quarters and minutes are heard distinctly and harmoniously. Without this device, the sequence would run too quickly, driven by the free unwinding speed of the repeater barrel spring. To optimise the mechanism, Vacheron Constantin replaced the traditional anchor system — noisier and more prone to friction — with a completely silent centripetal regulator. This system features two inertia blocks that create a braking effect on the regulator's pivot axis, thereby smoothing the energy released by the barrel. The presence of a tourbillon completes the regulating system, ensuring the precision of this movement beating at 2.5 Hz.
Skeletonization, from ancestral craft to contemporary aesthetics
The practice of skeletonization dates back to the late 18th century, when watchmakers began hollowing out plates and bridges to reveal the gear train in motion. During the 19th century, as watchmaking profited from advances in metallurgy, the technique became increasingly refined and was complemented by elaborate engraving and meticulous finishing.
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Although temporarily set aside in the early 20th century with the advent of the wristwatch, skeleton models regained prominence in the 1970s in response to the rise of electronic watches. With the revival of mechanical watchmaking in the early 1990s, skeleton watches established themselves as one of the contemporary symbols of horology.
Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO 
Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO 
Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO 
Finishing dedicated to transparency
The skeletonized Calibre 2755 TMR SQ is enhanced by nine meticulous finishing that underscores its complexity. Compared to a traditional calibre, this stage requires four times more time due to the minute size of the movement's 473 components, housed within a thickness of just 6.1 mm. To accentuate the depth effect, components are distinguished by their tones. In addition to brass and steel parts, anthracite-treated components further enhance contrast.
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Brushing flanks drawing (“étirage”) are created using abrasive tools to obtain fine, parallel, and uniform lines, producing a matte, homogeneous surface that contrasts with polished bevels.
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Surface straightening (“dressage”) involves levelling the upper surfaces using natural shellac stones to achieve a perfectly flat plane with a satin-bright finish.
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Bevelling of the bridges breaks sharp edges by creating a chamfer between the surface and the flanks, subsequently polished to a brilliant finish.
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Sandblasting of the bridges consists of projecting aluminium oxide at high pressure to create a matte, slightly textured surface that absorbs light.
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Rounding off of the tourbillon bar entails meticulous polishing of its semi-circular profile, including interior angles at attachment points, to achieve perfectly rounded, highly brilliant forms.
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Mirror polishing of the hammers produces vivid, shifting reflections, achieved by patiently rubbing the components against a zinc plate coated with fine abrasive.
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Circular graining, applied beneath the bridges and within recesses of the mainplate, creates overlapping circular motifs using a hand-lowered rotating abrasive peg.
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Circling of the wheels is achieved by pressing rotating components against abrasive film to produce fine concentric lines and added brilliance.
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Sunburst finishing on the crown wheel core is created by radial abrasion extending from the centre outward, producing a moiré effect reminiscent of sunrays.
Together, these finishes create plays of light and visual contrasts that highlight the movement's complexity and the quality of its architecture.
Interview with Christian Selmoni, Style & Heritage Director
How has skeletonization evolved over time?
More than two centuries ago, when watchmakers first adopted skeletonization, they focused on lightening the most massive components of calibres, such as mainplates and bridges. As tools improved and metal alloys became stronger and more resilient, skeletonization gradually extended to other components including barrel covers, oscillating weights, and then wheels, hands, and levers. The depth effect is most successful when the movement's architecture elegantly underscores its complexity and when finishing accentuates the diversity of components. It is a high-wire exercise with little in common with simply openworking a dial. Compared with historical skeletonization, one must also note the evolution of design — from classical scrollwork to more geometric forms, whose contemporary character is enhanced by surface treatments unknown in earlier eras.
What place do minute repeaters occupy within Vacheron Constantin's collections?
Striking watches form part of Vacheron Constantin's great tradition. The records mention a first repeating watch dating from 1806 and a grande and petite sonnerie piece from 1827. Archival documents reveal that the Maison steadily built a strong reputation in this field, frequently commissioned by a prestigious clientele. With the advent of the wristwatch, Vacheron Constantin perpetuated this tradition with a constant emphasis on elegance, synonymous with slender cases and ultra-thin movements. Notable milestones include reference 4261 from the early 1940s, whose minute repeater calibre measures only 3.28 mm thick — a true technical feat matched some fifty years later by Calibre 1755 of identical thickness, already offered in a skeleton version. In 2007, the first version of Calibre 2755 with tourbillon and minute repeater appears, equipped with the new centripetal striking regulator. It is followed in 2013 by Calibre 1731, which set a new thinness record in the field of minute repeaters at just 3.90 mm thick — slightly thicker than its predecessor due to an extended 65-hour power reserve.
"Explore All Ways Possible", Vacheron Constantin annual theme
“Do better if possible, and that is always possible”.
Vacheron Constantin's motto, originating in the writings of François Constantin in 1819, is a call to constantly push the boundaries of excellence and creativity, wherever it may lead...
Going beyond the limits of watchmaking mechanics, discovering new cultural and artistic horizons, exploring heritage and patrimony: all these are incentives for exploration undertaken by all ways possible, to look further, think differently, and unleash creative energy.
By opening itself to the world, the Maison has found its calling: to make the measurement of time a vast field of research and discovery, encompassing technical, historical, and cultural aspects.
"Explore All Ways Possible": in collaboration with Chinese artist and illustrator Shan Jiang, takes us through a wonderful and poetic journey, where exploration is a source of wonder, innovation and knowledge.
Shan Jiang, a highly acclaimed illustrator, infuses his work with the influence of his hometown, Shanghai. In his creations, he blends skyscrapers and bungalows, traditional superstitions, contemporary concepts and ideologies, and thriving subcultures. His artistic inspirations include Chinese meticulous art, Ukiyo-e, the Bauhaus, Dürer, Jean Giraud, and Eduardo Paolozzi. His artistic approach, often characterized by meticulous detail and boundless imagination, aligns with the House's values of excellence and innovation, particularly through exploration.
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TECHNICAL DATA
Collection: LES CABINOTIERS
Model: LES CABINOTIERS Minute Repeater Tourbillon Skeleton - Unique Pièce
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Reference 6580C/000R-343C
MOVEMENT
Calibre 2755 TMR SQ
Developed and manufactured by Vacheron Constantin
Manual-winding
33.90 mm (14 ¾) diameter, 6.30 mm thick
Movement power reserve: approximately 58 hours
2.5 Hz (18,000 vibrations/hour)
473 components
44 jewels
INDICATIONS
Hours, minutes, small seconds on tourbillon carriage
Tourbillon
Minute repeater (hours, quarters and minutes on request)
Power reserve indicator
CASE
18K 4N pink gold
45 mm diameter, 12 mm thick
Transparent sapphire crystal caseback
DIAL
Sapphire crystal dial with blue minute track
Two 18K gold silvered peripheral rings: one fluted, the other with circular satin finish
18K 4N pink gold seconds track ring with blue circular satin finish
11 18K 4N pink gold baton-shaped hour-markers
STRAP
Blue technical calfskin leather strap with a textured effect
Clasp
18K 4N pink gold folding clasp
Polished half Maltese cross-shaped
Box & accessory
Les Cabinotiers model
Hallmark of Geneva certified timepiece
Single-piece edition
"Pièce unique", "Les Cabinotiers" and "AC" hallmark engraved on the back of the timepiece
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Press Release - 2026
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Vacheron Constantin
Press Department
10, Chemin du Tourbillon
P.O. Box 95
CH-1228
Plan-les-Ouates/Geneva
Tel. +41 22 930 20 05
Fax +41 22 930 20 06
press@vacheron-constantin.com
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