VACHERON CONSTANTIN – Les Cabinotiers Dual Moon Grand Complication Minute Repeater Gold - Unique Piece 2023
New in-house movement with 11 complications
- One-of-a-kind double-sided watch housing new manual-winding in-house Calibre 2755 TMRCCQP and 11 horological complications including a minute repeater, a perpetual calendar, a precision moon phases, a sky chart.
- Extremely complex timepiece with an atypical face accentuated by the double central display of the moon phases.
- Highly elaborate design ensuring perfect readability of the time-related and astronomical indications.
Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO
With
its time-related and astronomical complications regulated by a
tourbillon and completed by a minute repeater, the manual-winding 2755
TMRCCQP calibre powering this watch is a masterpiece of complexity with
its 774 components. Representing one of watchmaking’s most sophisticated
grand complications, this white gold single-piece edition displays its
indications in a perfectly legible manner. Stemming from an aesthetic
quest dedicating elegance and purity of style to the service of
technical sophistication, this timepiece is notably distinguished by the
Maison’s characteristic retrograde function as well as by the refined
finishes highlighting the double moon phase display that is the key
feature of this watch. Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO The initial intention behind the Les Cabinotiers Dual moon Grand Complication
watch was to pay an original tribute to the Moon. Often relegated to
the background, the moon display is now very much in the forefront on
this model, asserting its striking presence both by its colour code and
by its size. As the idea was also to offer a vision of the Earth's
satellite as it appears in the northern and southern hemispheres, the
central moon phase indication, already a rarity in the watchmaking
world, is therefore characterized by a double display.
Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO
This
complication, already featured in the Les Cabinotiers Tourbillon
armillary perpetual calendar – Planetaria watch, makes a strong statement
in this highly technical musical timepiece with an astronomical
vocation and 11 complications.Front: a spectacular show
Indications:
- Off-centre mean solar time with hours and minutes
- Precision moon phases and age in both hemispheres
- Gregorian perpetual calendar with day, month, leap-year indications and instantaneous retrograde date hand
- Minute repeater
- Precision moon phases and age for the Northern and Southern hemispheres
The
full measure of Vacheron Constantin's ingenuity in staging the art of
watchmaking is stylishly and elegantly expressed in this double-sided
watch. This highly complex model is distinguished by the legibility of
its hourly and astronomical functions, stemming from the Maison’s
characteristic aesthetic quest perpetually focused on essentials.
Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO
On
the front of the watch, the eye is drawn to the depiction of the moons
in the two hemispheres on a disc coaxial with the central hands and
shaped like a starry dome. Its deep blue colour makes a striking
contrast with the silvery hue of the dial as it performs a complete
rotation in 59 days, 12 hours and 45 minutes. Such is the tempo given to
so-called astronomical moons, which scrupulously respect the duration
of the synodic months with a discrepancy of only 24 hours every 122
years and 16 days. Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO
The age of the Moon is indicated around a periphery
scale graduated from 1 to 29½. On this titanium dome graced with
rhodium-plated moons on a blue-sky background obtained by physical
vapour deposition (PVD), the meticulous care devoted to details –
orchestrated in nine stages and involving nearly 56 hours of work – adds
an additional original touch. The uneven surface of the moon, like the
brilliance of the tiny stars, was achieved by diamond cutting: a
micron-level high-precision machining process which gives faceted depth
to the material that shines or sparkles differently depending on the
angle from which the light plays across it. Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO
The
display of the hours and minutes of mean civil time complete with lunar
cycles has been slightly off-centred upwards to enable the harmonious
integration of calendar indications. Instead of the traditional
pointer-type dials used for perpetual calendar indications, Vacheron
Constantin's Master Watchmakers and designers opted for rotating discs.
This solution adopted for a mechanism that follows the vagaries of the
Gregorian calendar without any need for correction before 2100, is
admittedly more complex on a technical level yet offers greater
flexibility in the arrangement of the indications to ensure more
convenient readings. Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO
The semi-instantaneous display of the day and the
instantaneous display of the month and leap-year appear through
apertures, as does the date display. Here again, this display positioned
on the upper rim of the dial is shown through a semi-circular window,
but with a retrograde hand. A technical and stylistic signature of
Vacheron Constantin since the early 20th century, retrograde
mechanisms require great precision in the doubling of the gears used to
store the energy required for the return of the indicator. Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO
The
four-part dial construction and the finishing of each fully matches the
technical nature of the model. A 0.35 mm thick sapphire dome is placed
on a silver-toned metal baseplate with a sandblasted finish and
openworked calendar apertures. This dome beneath which the moon-phase
disc turns is fitted with two ‘masks’ whose smoky appearance is achieved
by metallisation. It is held in place by a curved brass ring,
satin-brushed with an opaline varnish, which in turn bears the white
gold hour-markers.Back: a cosmic dimension
Indications:
- Tourbillon regulator
- Sky chart
- Sideral hour display
The
likewise multi-part rear dial construction ensures the clarity and
understatement of the various displays. To ensure the moon phases take
priority on the front of the watch, the opening revealing the tourbillon
regulator has been placed on the back. Invented at the beginning of the
19th century, this device enclosing the escapement and the
balance-and-spring assembly in a mobile carriage is designed to
compensate for the effects of Earth’s gravity on the isochronism of the
regulator and thus ensure enhanced precision. The one-minute-rotating
tourbillon is distinguished by its carriage shaped like Vacheron
Constantin’s Maltese cross emblem, with its delicately hand-polished
bar. To diminish the weight (hence improving performance) as well as for
aesthetic reasons, the tourbillon components have been skeletonised –
notably the fixed wheel which is entirely openworked.
Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO
The
architecture of the dial on the reverse side also reflects a desire to
create an astronomical watch with a display of sidereal time and
constellations against a celestial backdrop. This timepiece paying
homage to the Moon naturally had to integrate the notion of sidereal
time – also known as "sidereal hour angle" – enabling astronomers to
calculate the meridian of the stars. Using a fixed star in the sky as a
reference point, the time it takes the Earth to complete a full 360°
revolution – or sidereal day – is exactly 23 hours, 56 minutes and 4
seconds. As the Earth both spins on its axis and revolves around the
sun, it takes about four minutes to return to its starting point in
relation to the given star. Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO
A fixed dial, bearing a
blue dot representing the celestial horizon, is positioned below a
movable sapphire crystal engraved with the constellations, while the rim
features month markings as well as five-day graduations. By performing a
complete rotation according to sidereal time, this mobile disc gives
the exact position of the constellations – delimited by the celestial
horizon – at the time when the watch is consulted by pointing it
Northwards. Sideral time is read off counter-clockwise, facing the
current date on the fixed PVD-treated blue outer ring bearing a 24-hour
scale along with the cardinal points.Minute repeater
This
timepiece featuring 11 of the noblest horological complications laid
out in an extremely elegant manner would have been inconceivable without
making it a musical watch incorporating a minute repeater.
Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO
To create
this particularly complex striking mechanism controlled by a repeater
slide housed on the caseband, Vacheron Constantin's Master Watchmakers
drew inspiration from La Tour de l'Île. This double-sided anniversary
watch produced in a 7-piece edition for the Maison’s 250th
anniversary is the most complicated wristwatch ever made with its 16
complications, including a minute repeater with a centripetal strike
regulator. Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO
This silent system also found in the Dual moon Grand Complication
enables the duration of the musical sequences to be perfectly timed in
order to obtain a distinct and harmonious sound of the notes played for
the hours, quarters and minutes by the hammers striking two circular
gongs. As an additional feature, the gongs of this repeater have been
slightly ovalised to avoid them overlapping the tourbillon and without
affecting their crystal-clear sound.Calibre 2755 TMRCCQP, a watchmaking adventure
In-house
Calibre 2755, one of Vacheron Constantin's major developments, was
chosen to power all these functions, which are complemented by a minute
repeater chiming the hours, quarters and minutes on demand. This
movement has undergone major transformations over the years – notably in
the realm of astronomical functions – and represents a true horological
adventure.
Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO
The Les Cabinotiers Dual Moon Grand Complication
watch with its 774 components is perfectly in tune with this adventure
that has already seen Calibre 2755 interpreted in many ways through
designs testifying to the quest for elegance amid complexity. Endowed
with a 58-hour power reserve, Calibre 2755 TMRCCQP beats at a rate of
18,000 vibrations per hour. Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO
Circular satin-brushed
and hand-bevelled, with a Côtes de Genève motif on the rear bridges as
well as mirror-polished hammers and strike-regulator bar, this in-house
movement has been meticulously finished. To ensure a smoother match with
the 46 mm-diameter case in 18K white gold, it has also been entirely
rhodium-plated. As is the case with all timepieces from the Maison, this
model showcases the extreme attention to detail lavished on every
component, even those that remain invisible once the movement has been
assembled. This quest for excellence is expressed as much in the
technical and aesthetic choices and decisions as in the painstaking
finishing.
Summary
A single-piece edition created by Vacheron Constantin's Les Cabinotiers department, this double-sided Dual Moon Grand Complication
watch with its 11 time-related and astronomical complications regulated
by a tourbillon and enhanced by a minute repeater radiates a rare
degree of elegance.
Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO
The latter is expressed through the perfect
legibility of the functions as well as the meticulous care devoted to
the details of the decoration and finishing. The result is an
understated and complex watch endowed with self-evident functions. The
front thus features the precision double moon-phase display, with its
age, an impressive show staged in the dial centre and complemented by
the hours, minutes and perpetual calendar indicators. Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO
The latter is
notably distinguished by its retrograde date, a Vacheron Constantin
technical and aesthetic signature. Astronomical indications appear on
the reverse side of the watch with the time of the sidereal day – which
is four minutes shorter than the civil day – and with a sky chart
showing the position of the constellations in real time. The back of the
watch also features an opening revealing the tourbillon and its Maltese
cross-shaped carriage. Incorporating a minute repeater chiming the
hours, quarters and minutes on demand, the model is powered by Calibre
2755 TMRCC QP, whose base movement represents one of the brand's major
developments.
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TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Collection: Les Cabinotiers
Model: Les Cabinotiers Dual Moon Grand Complication -
Unique Piece Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO
Reference 9770C/000G-007C
Movement
Developed and manufactured by Vacheron Constantin
Mechanical, manual-winding - Calibre 2755 TMRCC QP
Mechanical, manual-winding
33.30 mm diameter, 11.20 mm thick
Approximately 58 hours of power reserve
2.5Hz (18,000 vibrations/hour)
774 components
50 jewels
Hallmark of Geneva certified timepiece
Indications
Front side:
Hours and minutes
1- Minute repeater
2-6 Perpetual
calendar with retrograde date with instantaneous hand return,
semi-instantaneous day and month & year instantaneous
7-8 Precision Moon phases and age of the Moon for North and South hemispheres
Back side
9- Sideral hour indication (24H)
10- Celestial chart
11- Tourbillon
Case
18K white gold
46 mm diameter, 17.10 mm thick
Dials (face & back)
Metal, Sand blasted silvered
18K gold hands and applied hour-markers
Strap
Dark blue Mississippiensis alligator leather, hand-stitched, saddle-finish, large square scales
Buckle
18K white gold folding clasp
Half Maltese cross-shaped
BOX
Les Cabinotiers box
Unique timepiece
« Les Cabinotiers », « Pièce unique », « AC » hallmark engraved on caseback
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#VACHERONCONSTANTIN#OneOfNotMany
#LesCabinotiers #GrandComplication
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Press Release - 2023
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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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