LES CABINOTIERS
Le Temps Céleste
There has always been an intimate conversation between time and space. The course of the planets, the moon phases and the alignment of stars hanging in the sky like a gigantic clock.
Les Cabinotiers pay tribute to the astronomical origins of time measurement with a collection called “Le Temps Céleste.”
Universal time
Exploring the universe
of Le Temps Céleste
Time is manifold, with spiritual and scientific dimensions that continue to puzzle humanity since we first looked up to the stars. Mobilising absolute precision, both artistically and through astronomical complications, the watches of this series bear witness to our enduring fascination with the heavens.
Meaningful patterns
The Art of figurative guillochage
As of 1780, the date of the Maison’s oldest watch to feature a guilloché pattern, Vacheron Constantin began decorating its timepieces with a wide variety of guilloché motifs. Even today, these patterns engraved on the various metal bases are entirely hand-crafted. The craft of figurative drawing by guillochage was developed by the Maison’s own master guillocheur. The technique, which calls for great dexterity, is created by the alternating use of two hand-operated guilloché machines: one to engrave straight lines; and the other to make curves and circles.
Cosmic Time
Les Cabinotiers Armillary tourbillon perpetual calendar – Planetaria: astronomically complex and simply beautiful
Presented at Watches & Wonders 2021, this retrograde jumping perpetual calendar is regulated by a double-axis tourbillon and features a three-dimensional representation of the hemispheres designed to provide 24-hour and day/night indication, whose shaded areas are positioned to assimilate the armillary tourbillon to the Sun, darting its rays across the surface of the Earth. As befits an astronomical timepiece, pride of place goes to a precision moon-phase indicator requiring adjustment only once ever 122 years. Meanwhile, mounted on ball bearings to ensure smooth operation, the date display follows a circular arc to the right of the hours and minutes dial.Whether in terms of complexity or artistry, the Planetaria highlights Vacheron Constantin’s creative energy, guided by an identity that celebrates its heritage and dares the unexpected.
Focus
Tribute to the astronomical
origins of time
Every year, the Les Cabinotiers department unveils a thematic collection inspired _x000B_by a creative universe dear to the Maison. Together, designers, engineers, watchmakers and artisans explore advanced technologies and demanding savoir-faire, breathing life into extravagant and exclusive watches, like the Solaria Ultra Grand Complication – La Première, which tracks civil, sidereal and solar time and combining 41 complications, the most of any wristwatch.
There has always been an intimate conversation between time and space. The course of the planets, the moon phases and the alignment of stars hang in the sky like a gigantic clock.
Les Cabinotiers pay tribute to the astronomical origins of time measurement and the Maison's rich history of instruments for doing so in a collection christened "Le Temps Céléste."
Les Cabinotiers - The Berkley Grand Complication represents a technical feat that is further enhanced by its restrained, elegant aesthetic and impeccable level of finishing. The time devoted to decorating and finishing the 2,877 components, including the invisible convolutions of the mechanism, result in a watch where complexity contributes to its overall elegance and harmony.
Singular Achievements
The art of mastering time through exceptional and ingenious mechanisms
