The portfolio of Vacheron Constantin boasts numerous micromechanical masterpieces. And the lion’s share of them belongs to the Les Cabinotiers collection.
The Les Cabinotiers department, the crown jewel of the Geneva-based Maison, has, since 2006, brought together the finest professionals in their fields: technical geniuses as well as skilled artisans — engravers, enamellers, painters, jewelers, and guilloché specialists. This elite group is the driving force behind the continued growth and flourishing of Haute Horlogerie in our time. Each year, Les Cabinotiers produces unique thematic sets, and far less frequently — given that the development of engineering innovations can take decades — one-of-a-kind micromechanical masterpieces.
At the start of 2024, the brand marked the occasion with the release of the most complicated pocket watch in the world, breaking its own nine-year-old record. The Les Cabinotiers The Berkley Grand Complication Ref. 9901C/000G-B472 model, created at the request of American financier William R. Berkley, features 63 complications — six more than the 2015 iteration.
November delighted the brand’s most loyal followers with the premiere of a new series of Haute Horlogerie masterpieces, united under the name Les Cabinotiers Métiers d’Art Le Temps Divin (“Divine Time”). The trilogy visualizes the perception of time through the lens of different cultures — the ancient world, Asia, and Japan. Each collection within the set features not only an incredibly complex in-house movement but also decoration achieved through labor-intensive artisanal techniques.
For example, the dials of the Asia-themed collection, in addition to the tourbillon, are adorned with miniature marquetry made from 12 different types of wood. The image elements were applied to thin layers of veneer, each only 0.6 mm thick. They were then cut, shaped, and assembled by the artisan into the final miniature “puzzle.” Each dial, made up of more than 200 individual wooden segments on average, took about a month and a half to perfect.
The dials of the two unique pieces, inspired by Greco-Roman mythology, share an impressive armillary tourbillon and a semi-circular retrograde scale with hands that glide over Roman numerals for the hours and Arabic numerals for the minutes. For this reason, miniature relief engravings and geometric patterns are carved into the bezel and case sides of the models.Finally, the three one-of-a-kind pieces, featuring Izanagi, Amaterasu, and Konohanasakuya-hime, deities of Shintoism, combine the arts of engraving, enameling, and miniature painting.
Photo: press-office
