Marking its 270th anniversary, Vacheron Constantin (VC) has celebrated in grand style. The brand began the year by unveiling the Solaria, the most complicated wristwatch ever created, boasting 41 complications. This was followed by the La Quête Du Temps astronomical clock, which just concluded its exhibition run at the Louvre in Paris. Together, these projects demonstrate not only the breadth of VC’s mechanical ambition but also its ability to express technical virtuosity through art and craft.

Now, the brand continues its anniversary celebrations with a range of unique Les Cabinotiers watches under the banner of “The Quest” theme: the Cosmica Duo, Armillary Tourbillon, Celestia, and Moon Dust. Ranging from astronomical complications to high jewellery, these one-off creations showcase the manufacture’s dual mastery of horology and métiers d’art. Presented here is a rare hands-on look at all five before they disappear into private collections—an opportunity to appreciate their scale, complexity, and artistry up close.

Initial thoughts

Each of the new Les Cabinotiers watches expresses a different facet of VC’s watchmaking identity. The Cosmica Duo stands out as a true wrist-worn observatory, combining 24 astronomical indications with a reversible construction that makes it unusually wearable for its complexity. The Celestia Hommage to Ptolemy and Copernicus pays tribute to the brand’s earlier cal. 3600, but elevates it through intricate case engraving that links science with art.

The Armillary Tourbillon “Myth of the Pleiades” channels the same celestial inspiration into mythological storytelling, blending the brand’s signature double-axis tourbillon with sculptural engraving. Finally, the baguette-set Moon Dust translates horological ambition into pure jewellery, with hundreds of diamonds framing a movement that remains uncompromisingly mechanical.

As a group, these watches reinforce the idea that VC’s greatest strength lies in synthesis. Few manufactures can move so fluidly between engineering precision and artistic refinement, or treat engraving, gem-setting, and chiming mechanisms as parallel forms of expression.

As unique pieces, pricing is largely outside the scope of this hands-on evaluation. As is typical for VC’s bespoke Les Cabinotiers department, each watch was almost certainly developed in close collaboration with its eventual owner, making them more commissions than catalogue items. Their value, therefore, lies not only in their material complexity but also in the fact that each represents a personal chapter in the continuing story of Geneva’s oldest watchmaker.

Les Cabinotiers Cosmica Duo – Grand Complication

Vacheron’s latest wrist-worn grand complication once again centres on astronomical indications—a theme that has defined many of the brand’s 270th anniversary creations. Earlier this year, the brand unveiled the Solaria, an extraordinary wristwatch boasting 41 complications.

Now, barely six months later, VC returns with the Cosmica Duo, another grand complication that packs 24 functions into a reversible case that can be worn with either dial facing up.

Despite a movement that’s simpler on paper, the Cosmica Duo is larger than the Solaria, at 47 mm in diameter and just over 20 mm thick. Some of this size is the result of the case construction, which features articulating lugs with a reversible strap. That said, it’s not unreasonable for a watch with two fully functional dials (hence the name “Duo”) and a movement comprising 1,003 components.

Before delving into the mechanics, it’s worth pausing to admire the Cosmica Duo as an object. One face is a deep celestial blue, dominated by a symmetrical sky chart and a second-time-zone display that remains surprisingly legible. Flip it over, and a skeletonised dial reveals the gilded mechanics within, including a large tourbillon at 12 o’clock and a display for true solar time—making this side the secondary dial for practical reasons.

The first impression is that of a genuinely wearable grand complication. Most such watches are exercises in excess, but here, pivoted symmetrical lugs and a quick-release strap make the Cosmica Duo properly reversible and unexpectedly ergonomic.

The one-off Cosmica is yet another example of VC’s extensive work with complications and especially their mastery of astronomic indications. There was little spared in building this complex timepiece, even though the same movement probably won’t be reused in this exact finish and configuration.

That said, history suggests that some subassemblies might eventually find their way into more attainable models in the future. The movement is proudly modular, so some of these complications could be adapted for use in other watches.

The blue side of the Cosmica Duo

The Cosmica Duo incorporates 24 complications, most of which relate to celestial phenomena. This goes well beyond what is typically required for a watch to qualify as a grand complication, a loosely defined term normally applied to watches with a tourbillon, perpetual calendar, chiming mechanism and chronograph.

The Cosmica’s list of complications includes a tourbillon, perpetual calendar and minute repeater, but replaces the chronograph with a suite of astronomical functions such as a rotating sky chart, running equation of time and sunrise and sunset indicators. It is powered by the new cal. 2756-B1, an evolution of cal. 2756 that itself draws on the earlier cal. 2755.

Starting off with the blue dial, which is made out of 22 separate pieces, the wearer is greeted by a framed, circular sky chart, two small night/day dials for the home and local timezones, a pair of symmetrical sub-dials for the perpetual calendar, and an aperture at six o’clock showing the local city code.

This is a lot of information for one dial, so let’s unpack it carefully. The star of the show has to be the sidereal sky chart, which shows the rotation of constellations as observed from earth in real time, turning over the course of a sidereal day. As a reminder, a sidereal day is about four minutes shorter than the standard 24 hours. 

It is a dense display, but carefully arranged; on the wrist, the elaborate dial construction aids legibility. The most striking feature is naturally the sidereal sky chart, which tracks the apparent rotation of the constellations as seen from Earth, completing a revolution every sidereal day (which is about four minutes shorter than the standard solar day).

A sidereal day is the true period of the Earth’s rotation on its axis, and it allows astronomers to locate celestial objects with greater precision. In the Cosmica Duo, it means the position of the constellations on the dial matches what can be seen in the northern sky at any given moment; a pale elliptical outline marks the portion of the heavens above the horizon.

The modular architecture of the cal. 2756-B1

Designing gearing for such an irregular period (23 hours, 56 minutes and 4.1 seconds) demands precise calculation, involving prime-number gear ratios and some sort of epicyclic gearing. A sector around the sky chart displays the sidereal hours, though only from 1 to 5 and 19 to 23, so as not to overlap with the perpetual calendar sub-dials.

At the centre of the dial is a three-hand display showing mean solar time, or standard civil time. Two white hands indicate home time, while a bright orange hand shows local time. Both sets of hour hands complete a 12-hour cycle, and small colour-coded sub-dials indicate day and night for each time zone. The local time can be adjusted in one-hour increments via a pusher integrated into the crown.

Despite the complexity, the watch remains surprisingly legible thanks to the bright, unevenly sized hour indices radiating from the central hand stack like sunbeams. A discreet aperture at six o’clock reveals the city code disc for the local time zone.

Moving to the lower portion of the dial, the perpetual calendar is packed within two symmetrical sub-dials. On the lefthand side, a co-axial pair of slim hands indicate the day and date, while its counterpart indicates the month and leap year cycle. The display is both impressively efficient and pleasantly well-dimensioned, and is quite readable on the wrist.  

The perpetual calendar mechanism itself is of the classical variety, with an eight-year profile cam and lever. The system is remarkably compact and can be made out in the lower portion of the uppermost complication module. 

The open-faced side of the Cosmica Duo

Turning the watch over reveals a completely different character. While the blue side is symmetrical and restrained, the opposite side is open and expressive. Much of the dial is skeletonised, revealing the champagne-coloured movement within. As before, most of the indications relate to celestial cycles, with the addition of a large tourbillon at 12 o’clock.

The tourbillon is classic VC, with a four-armed skeleton cage shaped like the brand’s Maltese Cross emblem. Rotating once per minute, it houses a free-sprung balance wheel beating at a leisurely 2.5 Hz. In a watch filled with rare complications, the tourbillon is ironically one of the more conventional features.

Just below it sits the power reserve indicator, displayed on a small blue sector with an orange serpentine hand. Flanking it are two more symmetrical displays: the left indicates sunset time and the length of the night, while the right shows the time of sunrise and the length of the day.

These indications are location-specific, and have no-doubt been adjusted for the owner’s preferred location during production. Based on the graduations on the scales and the star chart on the reverse side, it appears the lucky owner lives somewhere near along the 39th parallel (or thereabouts).

The time-telling handset just below the centre line displays true solar time (as opposed to mean solar time). Not to be confused with sidereal time, the true solar day varies over one year from the mean 24 hours by -16m 23s to +14m 22s, due to the Earth’s axial tilt and elliptical orbit around the Sun.

This slight daily variation is displayed in select watches by an equation of time complication, in which a hand glides over a sector, pointing to the amount of minutes to be added or subtracted from the 24 hours in order to find out the true solar length of the current day. A previous two-part story (parts I and II here) thoroughly recounts the historical pursuit of the equation of time, from ancient times to modern timepieces. 

The Cosmica Duo takes the more elegant but infinitely harder road. Instead of making the user mentally calculate the true solar time, it includes the computation directly into the time-telling hand set. This is called a running equation of time and the hands self-adjust daily, depending on the length of the day. 

The complicated is identified by a subtle sun-shaped counterweight on the minute hand. Each day, the movement advances or slows the hand slightly, compensating for the daily variation in solar time. Together with the sky chart and mean solar display on the reverse, the Cosmica Duo simultaneously tracks three time systems: sidereal, mean, and true solar time.

The lower part of the dial also features a moon phase indicator accurate to 1,000 years before requiring adjustment. True to form, VC has taken the elaborate route here as well, replacing the traditional rotating moon disc with a retrograde display.

The repeater works are integrated within the core movement.

Among its many complications, the minute repeater is the most traditional. The slider is positioned midway along the case band, allowing comfortable operation regardless of which side is facing up.

The mechanism uses VC’s centripetal governor, first introduced in 2005 on the Tour de l’Île, to control the striking tempo. Compared with other governors, this design reduces wear, operates more quietly and ensures the focus remains on the clarity of the chime.

The impressive mechanics of the Cosmica Duo are packed inside a 47 mm diameter 18K white gold case, which is 20.2 mm thick. The diameter is not small by any means but considering this is a fussy grand complication, the watch is wearable enough.

The limiting factor in wearability may actually be the lack of any substantial water resistance; VC, like Patek Philippe, usually seals its repeaters to a minimum in order to improve the sound.

The case lines are clean, polished and clearly meant to frame the dual dials. The pivoted lugs are a nice and practical touch, their profile reminding slightly of modernised Cornes de Vache.

Two unique Celestia astronomical grand complications

Revisiting one of the most complex astronomical watches in its archives, VC has created two unique versions of the Celestia cal. 3600 as a tribute to two of history’s greatest astronomers: Ptolemy and Copernicus. Ptolemy, who lived in the second century, proposed the geocentric model of the universe, placing the Earth at its centre with the Sun and stars revolving around it.

More than a millennium later, the Polish astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus redefined that understanding with his heliocentric model, positioning the Sun at the centre of the solar system. Both interpretations profoundly shaped how humanity views its place in the cosmos.

Each of the new Celestia models is powered by the formidable Calibre 3600, a movement containing 23 astronomical complications and capable of running for three weeks on a full wind. We covered the standard cal. 3600 previously, but it bears repeating that this calibre remains one of VC’s greatest technical achievements, from the same mind that conceived the Solaria. It displays time in three formats (mean, solar and sidereal) and includes a rotating sky chart alongside a range of additional astronomical indicators.

The complex movement includes a rare tidal wave gauge, complemented by a three-dimensional Earth-Moon-Sun alignment indicator. An annual disc also tracks the zodiac signs through an aperture, while the more familiar complications include a perpetual calendar, sunrise and sunset times, and a day-night duration indicator. The six mainspring barrels, linked in a combination of series and parallel, deliver enough torque to power the many complications for roughly 21 days.

The Hommage to Ptolemy is crafted in 18-carat white gold, with soft grey tones lending a restrained, almost scholarly character. The case is engraved with a planisphere, a reference to Ptolemy’s geocentric theories. The primary engraving technique used is champlevé, creating a subtle contrast between raised and recessed surfaces. Wave-like patterns encircle the bezel, case and lugs, evoking the contour lines of a topographical map.

The warmer Hommage to Copernicus is done in 18K 5N pink gold — a subtle nod to the Sun itself. The hand-engraved case shows the solar system, with the large crown playing the role of the Sun with the planets swirling around it. The wave patterns on this model are meant to evoke the wide trajectories of planets around the Sun — making them more regular and less arched compared to those engraved on the Ptolemy version. Each of the two cases took about 240 hours of painstaking hand engraving.

Together, these two unique pieces embody VC’s philosophy of blending artistic craftsmanship with advanced micro-mechanics. While Calibre 3600 stands as a technical tour de force, the engraved cases are miniature works of art in their own right. At 45 mm wide and 13.9 mm thick, the watches are substantial but still wearable, providing ample space to showcase both the mechanical and decorative achievements.

Les Cabinotiers Armillary Tourbillon — Myth of the Pleiades

VC revisits its two-axis Armillary Tourbillon with a mythological twist. Still inspired by the stars, this unique piece takes its theme from the Greek myth of the Pleiades — seven sisters transformed into stars who have guided sailors for millennia.

The watch is as much about artistic expression as it is about mechanics. The heavily open-worked dial exposes much of the movement beneath, showcasing the double retrograde system for the hours and minutes. The champagne-toned bridges share the same warm hue as the Cosmica Duo, while the finishing throughout is of the highest standard.

The cal. 1990 inside remains as appealing as ever, with skeletonised snail cams and beautiful swirling levers for the retrograde works, all tightly packed on the right side of the dial. The blued hands point to a numbered half-circle sector, which is useful since reading the time on this “halved” format is uncommon. Due to the heavy skeletonised nature of the calibre, legibility inevitably takes second place to spectacle

On the left side is the large tourbillon assembly, which revolves on two axis: one co-axial with the balance wheel staff and the second perpendicular to the staff. The 2.5 Hz regulator features a spherical hairspring — a very uncommon sight. The model is COSC certified while also carrying the Geneva Seal.

The main attraction of the Myth of the Pleiades unique piece has to be the overly ornate case. The caseband features scenes depicting Orion — a mythical figure waging war on the Pleiades, along with the Argos ship sailing over sea of monsters. The hand engravings have an organic and truly artisanal feel to them, which cannot be replicated by other metal working techniques.

The bezel and lugs are engraved with fine spiralling patterns which remind of Greek and Mediterranean decorations. The casework might feel too much, but seeing the celestial theme approached from a less scientific point of view shows that VC is as skilled in whimsical decoration as it is in precision engineering. Finishing the case of this single piece took 450 hours of painstaking engraving work.

The gem-set Grande Complication — Moon Dust

Another complicated piece reimagined, the Moon Dust unique piece reimagines the Les Cabinotiers Grande Complication with a focus on precious decoration. The timepiece features a “modest” 16 complications, but compensates in terms of decorative extravagance.

The Moon Dust is set with baguette-cut diamonds on the front bezel in a double row arrangement. The rear bezel is set with a single row of diamonds, framing the secondary dial. Baguette-cut diamonds are also set into the top of the lugs and even into the clasp.

The lug sides are “snow-set” — meaning the brilliant-cut diamonds are not of equal diameters, making for a mosaic-like glittering surface. The case middle is also engraved, one side showing Sundays touching the Earth and the other imagining the planets as seen from the Moon. 

Sun rays emanating from the crown to a cloudy Earth.

There are 200 baguette-cut diamonds and 165 brilliant-cut diamonds, with sizes ranging from 0.7 to 2 mm. The gem-setting alone took 230 hours of work.

The dial is engine-turned by hand with a wavy and radiating pattern, then PVD-coated to a deep blue. Framed by the glittering case, the dark blue dial evokes the vastness of space as seen from the shining Moon. There is also a black opaline border, further giving the impression of deep space. 

Inside the 18-carat white gold case is cal. 2755 GC16, a modular grand complication derived from the landmark cal. 2755 first introduced in 2005 for the Tour de l’Île. It shares much of its core architecture with the movement found in the new Cosmica Duo, an includes a perpetual calendar, classic equation of time, tourbillon, and sunrise and sunset indications.

The movement also integrates a minute repeater regulated by VC’s silent centripetal governor, operated through the bezel rather than a traditional slide. On the reverse, a sidereal sky chart completes the astronomical display.

Concluding thoughts

The Quest collection quietly reaffirms VC’s rare ability to unite technical sophistication with artistic craft. Each of these one-off creations embodies a different expression of that philosophy, whether in the astronomical logic of the Cosmica Duo, the engraved poetry of the Celestia twins, the mythic storytelling of the Armillary Tourbillon, or the gem-set extravagance of the Moon Dust.

Viewed together, they underline the fact that VC’s 270th anniversary has been a year to remember. Few manufactures can match this balance of invention, craftsmanship and restraint, and few anniversaries have been marked with such imagination.

Key facts and price

Vacheron Constantin Les Cabinotiers Cosmica Duo
Ref. 9780C/000G-087C

Case diameter: 47 mm
Case height: 20.2 mm
Material: 18k white gold
Water resistance: Dust and humidity-resistant only

Movement: Cal. 2756-B1
Functions: Hours, minutes, second time zone, twin day/night indicators, perpetual calendar, sky chart, sidereal hours and minutes, minute repeater, running equation of time, sunrise and sunset times, day and night duration, moon phase, and power reserve
Winding: Hand-wound
Power reserve: 60 hours

Strap: Alligator strap with 18k white gold folding clasp

Limited edition: Unique piece
Availability: From Vacheron Constantin boutiques
Price: Upon request

Vacheron Constantin Les Cabinotiers Celestia
Ref. 97A0C/000G-304C (Homage to Ptolemy)
Ref. 97A0C/000R-290C (Homage to Copernicus)

Case diameter: 45 mm
Case height: 13.91 mm
Material: 18k white or pink gold
Water resistance: 30 m

Movement: Cal. 3600
Functions: Hours, minutes, tourbillon regulator, perpetual calendar, moon phase, age of the moon, running equation of time, sunrise and sunset time, day and night length, seasons, solstices, and zodiac signs, tide level, Sun-Earth-Moon conjunction, sky chart, sidereal hours and minutes, and power reserve
Winding: Hand-wound
Power reserve: approx. 500 hours (three weeks)

Strap: Alligator strap with matching folding clasp

Limited edition: Unique piece
Availability: From Vacheron Constantin boutiques
Price: Upon request

Vacheron Constantin Les Cabinotiers Armillary Tourbillon
Ref. 9890C/000R-273C

Case diameter: 45 mm
Case height: 20.13 mm
Material: 18k pink gold
Water resistance: 30 m

Movement: Cal. 1990
Functions: Retrograde hours and minutes, tourbillon regulator
Winding: Hand-wound
Power reserve: 65 hours

Strap: Alligator strap with 18k pink gold folding buckle

Limited edition: Unique piece
Availability: From Vacheron Constantin boutiques
Price: Upon request

Vacheron Constantin Les Cabinotiers Grand Complication High Jewellery “Moon Dust”
Ref. 9700C/000R-B755

Diameter: 47 mm
Height: 19.1 mm
Material: 18k white gold, set with 184 baguette-cut diamonds and 165 brilliant-cut diamonds
Crystal: Sapphire
Water-resistance: Not water-resistant

Movement: Cal. 2755 GC16
Functions: Time, minute repeater, perpetual calendar with equation of time, sunrise and sunset times, power reserve indication, and tourbillon regulator; on reverse, sky chart with sidereal time and zodiac calendar
Winding: Hand wind
Frequency: 18,000 beats per hour (2.5 Hz)
Power reserve: 58 hours

Strap: Alligator with 18k white gold folding buckle set with 16 baguette-cut diamonds

Limited edition: Unique piece
Availability: From Vacheron Constantin boutiques
Price: Upon request

For more information, visit Vacheron-constantin.com.