VACHERON CONSTANTIN IS ONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST RENOWNED WATCHMAKERS. THE VERY TOP. To celebrate their 270th anniversary, they have created a masterpiece that is expected to COST UP TO 15 MILLION SWISS FRANCS. Or roughly 120 million Danish kroner.
Vacheron Constantin
In fact, it is quite simple to create a wristwatch that can tell the time relatively accurately. It can even turn out to be beautiful - a fine design in precious metals, jewels, and diamonds. But when it also has to display moon phases, the sun’s position in the sky, or the tides, it immediately becomes more complicated. Watchmakers refer to these functions as “complications.”
And there is no shortage of complications in Vacheron Constantin’s latest creation: Les Cabinotiers Solaria - Ultra Grand Complication. In fact, it features no fewer than 41 different functions, packed into a movement measuring 45 mm in diameter and an impressive 14.99 mm in height. All in all, the watchmakers at the Swiss luxury brand have managed to assemble 1,521 individual components and turn their efforts into a fully functional timepiece. Reportedly, it took nearly a full year to assemble the many small parts - including 200 jewels and several sapphire discs - all of which testify to an extreme focus on detail and quality.
In return, the watch makes it possible to see where certain stars are visible from Earth, when the sun rises, and when it reaches its highest point in the sky. The front displays the time - even with two time zones - as well as a perpetual calendar. The caseback is adorned with a rotating star chart and a split-seconds chronograph. The movement itself is capable of accounting for the Earth’s elliptical orbit around the sun and delivers up to five different audible alarms.
And the price? Well, it is not publicly available. But experts estimate based on other Grand Complication watches on the market that the price could creep up toward 15 million Swiss francs. Or roughly 120 million Danish kroner. Even so, several media outlets (CNN, Monochrome, etc.) report that since the presentation in April, a number of connoisseurs have already added their names to a list of potential buyers.