Borna Bosnjak
Vacheron Constantin recently opened their brand new flagship boutique in the heart of Sydney’s CBD. To help celebrate the opening, the maison are housing a selection of Heritage High Complication models on the third level of the new boutique. We’ve highlighted four pieces from the exhibition. The watches will be on display for all of March, so be sure to check them out if you’re in the neighbourhood.1910 Grand Complication ref. 10722The oldest of these four remarkable pieces dates back to 1910, and comes in the form of a pocket watch. The hallmarks of the time are all there – a large, solid, yellow-gold case that opens on one side to reveal a stunning grand feu enamel dial, while a hunter caseback hides a manually wound repeater and perpetual calendar calibre. The dial displays a 48-month astronomic perpetual calendar with a moonphase, still in incredible opaline white condition thanks to the properties of the enamel. Hailing from the complications workshop set up by Vacheron Constantin in 1910, this is one of the earliest highly complicated pieces that left its workbenches, eventually going on to inspire the most complicated watch ever made, the 2015 ref. 57260.1993 Tourbillon ref. 11984Fast-forwarding nearly a century, this 1993 release in platinum was part of the first series of tourbillon-equipped watches ever made by Vacheron Constantin. Originally introduced a year earlier as part of the “7 marvels” collection, it accompanied six other timepieces made to showcase Vacheron Constantin’s know-how in producing extra thin, repeating, skeletonised, high jewellery, perpetual calendar with chronograph and enamelled masterpieces. The movement powering this reference that was limited to 300 pieces is the calibre 1760, individually numbered in the 140 platinum and 160 yellow gold-cased examples. The manually wound calibre displayed a power reserve at 12 o’clock and an oversized tourbillon at 6, powered by dual barrels and decorated with bevelled bridges and Geneva striping. Handmade guilloche graced the solid gold dial, the look of which was inspired by ship chronometers made by Vacheron Constantin in the past.2005 Tour de l’?le Grand Complication ref. 11474Launched to celebrate the brand’s 250th anniversary, the Tour de l’?le flexed all of Vacheron Constantin’s haute horlogerie muscles. Consisting of 834 components, the calibre 2750 was the world’s most complicated at the time, totalling 16 complications displayed by 12 hands across two dials. Only seven pieces were ever sold, with an eighth made for the Vacheron Constantin museum. All included a 60-second tourbillon, perpetual calendar with moonphase, striking mechanism torque indication, power reserve, sunrise and sunset times in Geneva, Northern Hemisphere star chart, minute repeater, equation of time, celestial annual calendar and more. Vacheron Constantin proudly displays the Poin?on de Geneve on the dial, the Tour de l’?le winning that year’s Aiguille d’Or.2008 Perpetual Calendar Retrograde ref. 12306Inspired by 19th century jumping hour pocket watches and retrograde displays of the 1930s, Vacheron Constantin released the Perpetual Calendar Retrograde ref. 12306. Featuring a sapphire dial showcasing the retrograde cams, the ref. 12306 was produced exclusively in platinum, powered by the 1226QPR31 calibre. Housed in the Malte collection, it evoked the times of Art Deco with its unique fancy lugs, while leaning into the maison’s modern ethos with superb movement finishing and execution.
09.03.23