Since the new executive of Vacheron Constantine, Louis Ferla, took over the brand it has been shown that he has one goal. That one goal is to make Vacheron Constantine watches the most luxurious, prestigious, and intricate watches. The timepieces are one of a kind, produced with highly complicated components.
The latest watch releasing is the Les Cabinotiers Grand Complication Phoenix with five key complications: tourbillon, minute repeater, perpetual calendar, equation of time, and a star chart with astronomical indications. Each complications have their own functions that add up to a whopping 15 complications!
1. Minute repeater
2. Tourbillon
3-6. Perpetual calendar (date, day of the week, month, leap year)
7. Power reserve
8. Equation of time
9. Sunrise time
10. Sunset time
11. Sky chart
12. Age and phases of the moon
13. Sidereal hours and minutes
14. Seasons, zodiac signs
15. Striking mechanism torque
In the front of the dial, the perpetual calendar, equation of time, as well as sunrise and sunset indicators, along with a tourbillon can be found at six o’clock. The watch’s back includes the star chart, sidereal time, indicator for the season and sign of the zodiac, as well as a torque indicator for the repeater mechanism.
All this is powered by the hand-wound cal. 2755-B1, based on a movement originally unveiled in 2005 for the brand’s 275th anniversary. It has a power reserve of 58 hours and is compromised of 839 parts.
The case is made of 18k pink gold measuring at 47mm in diameter. The largeness of the case gives enough space for the hand-engraving. The most beautiful part about the case is that almost every surface of the case is covered with a phoenix motif, rendered in a style that takes loose inspiration from East Asian art.
The price of the Grand Complication Phoenix (ref. 9700C/003R-B187) is “upon request”, however, going by the SFr2m retail price of a similar watch from 2014, expect this to cost significantly more.
