Vacheron Constantin Unveils Celestia Astronomical Wristwatch
Vacheron Constantin has long been known for its unwavering dedication to perfection and complications. This year at SIHH 2017, the brand stands true — unveiling a one-of-a-kind watch that is the brand’s most complicated wristwatch to date (It even tops the current holder of the title “most complicated wristwatch” currently on the market). The Les Cabinotiers Celestia Astronomical Grand Complication 3600 was five years in the making and offers an incredible 23 functions via its two-sided dial. The technical masterpiece will most likely carry a price tag of an estimated $1 million.
The watch displays civil, solar and sidereal time indications thanks to the ingenious incorporation of three separate gear trains, including one that is a tropical gear train designed to emulate the Earth’s rotation around the sun in actual time. Two of the five years of the creation of this watch were devoted to design of the movement and the overall watch, which measures 45mm in diameter and is just 13.6mm in thickness. The integrated Caliber 3600 consists of 514 individual finely finished components.
Les Cabinotiers Celestia Astronomical Grand Complication 3600
with 541 parts
Built by one single master watchmaker in the brand’s bespoke department, the Les Cabinotiers Celestia Astronomical Grand Complication 3600 shows 15 indications on the front dial, and eight indications on the reverse side. The watch includes a patented sky chart disk, and a tourbillon with Maltese cross.
In summary, the watch offers calendar and moonphase indication that shows day, date, month, leap year, perpetual calendar, day/night indication, precise moon phase and age of moon. Solar functions, including equation of time and running equation of time, sunrise, sunset, length of day, length of night, seasons, solstices, equinoxes and zodiac signs, tide level indicator and a Sun-Earth-Moon conjunction, opposition and quadrature. There is also a (patent-pending) Celestial chart with northern hemisphere indication of the Milky Way, tourbillon and three weeks of power reserve.
It should be noted that the perpetual calendar needs no correction for 400 years and the moon phase display requires just a one-day correction once in 122 years. The watch offers three weeks of power reserve — achieved by the use of six barrels. Les Cabinotiers Celestia Astronomical Grand Complication 3600 bears the Hallmark of Geneva.
