BY HARLAN CHAPMAN-GREEN
It’s usually a special thing when a haute horologerie watchmaker releases a new model or two, which is something we see at events like Watches & Wonders Geneva. It’s incredibly rare for a brand at the upper echelon of watchmaking like Vacheron Constantin to release 12 watches at the same time, and yet here we are with just that.
Okay, a small admission, these 12 watches in Vacheron Constantin’s new Métiers d’Art Tribute to The Celestial are by and large the same watch, albeit with a different dial. They all come in an 18k white gold case measuring 39mm x 10.7mm with 96 baguette-cut sapphires adorning the lugs and bezel. Each watch also has a blue dial with hand-applied guilloché, white gold markers and diamonds.
The theme for this range of limited-edition pieces is the 12 signs of the zodiac, so every watch has one of the symbols engraved onto it with applied diamonds marking out the stars in each zodiac symbol’s respective constellation.
Inside each watch is the selfwinding calibre 2160, which is 5.65mm thick and yet has a power reserve of 80 hours, part of which is contributed to by the peripheral rotor. It runs at 2.5Hz and has an openworked tourbillon with the brand’s famous Maltese Cross logo on it. There’s also all of the super high-end finishing you would expect from a movement which has been awarded the Poinçon de Genève, which means that the movement has been built and finished to the highest of standards by artisans in and around Geneva.
Each one of these watches is presented on a blue alligator leather strap to match the blue dial. Matching with the case is an 18k white gold buckle with more sapphires on it. Each watch has no official price tag, as you need to ask Vacheron Constantin in one of their boutiques, but Hodinkee reports a source of theirs states one of these will cost around $240,000. They’re also limited production watches, but Vacheron Constantin isn’t saying how many of each they’re making. I guess we can appreciate them from afar.
