Vacheron Constantin's latest Grand Complication is made up of almost 700 pieces
There are complicated watches, and then there's this. Vacheron Constantin has just dropped the Les Cabinotiers Temporis Duo Grand Complication Openface – a one-off wristwatch with a frankly outrageous 696 components inside.
It's a proper horological flex, pairing extreme complexity with a green-tinged dose of style. It could be one of the best watches, ever. And I can't stop staring at it.
Why? Because the pink gold case and lush green strap might first catch your eye, but it's the see-through sapphire dial – exposing almost everything beneath – that keeps it there.
This isn't just showboating; it's a showcase of the Maison's mechanical might. Inside sits Calibre 2757 S, packing in a minute repeater, split-seconds chronograph and a tourbillon with a spherical hairspring – three of watchmaking's trickiest complications.
I've seen plenty of complicated timepieces over the years, but this looks like it's on another level. Just imagining the single push-piece chronograph in action – with those twin aluminium seconds hands – is enough to make any watch geek giddy. The repeater mechanism, with its clever centripetal governor, promises crisp, musical chimes rather than dull clunks. And that Maltese-cross tourbillon is a masterclass in watchmaking design.
Vacheron Constantin has thrown every trick it knows at this movement. Lightweight materials like titanium and silicon keep things efficient. That open-face design isn't just pretty – it makes all the polishing, bevelling and brushing visible.
Even the underside's a treat, with hand-finished black bridges and a flyweight-suspended gong system engraved with founder Jean-Marc Vacheron's initials.
Even with all the technical fireworks packed inside, it's surprisingly wearable on paper. The movement is just 10.4mm thick – impressively slim considering what it does – and paired with that green strap and 45mm pink gold case, it should be pretty balanced on the wrist.
Sure, no one reading this will ever own it. But that's beside the point. The Les Cabinotiers Temporis Duo Grand Complication Openface isn't just a watch; it's a statement. It proves that after 270 years, Vacheron Constantin can still push boundaries – not by reinventing the wheel, but by building one with almost 700 perfectly finished parts.
And with green accents, no less.
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