Vacheron Constantin's Ode to Music: Les Cabinotiers Astronomical Striking Grand Complication
At
THE
CIRCLE | VANCOUVER we are following Vacheron Constantin’s Les
Cabinotiers program with great enthusiasm. Creating museum quality,
one-of-a-kind pieces, these are the benchmarks for watchmaking today, and will
be marvelled at within historical collections of the future. Drawing its name
for the 18th century watchmakers, called cabinotiers, who
worked in naturally lit ateliers on the top floors of Geneva’s
buildings, les cabinotiers revives the tradition of bespoke watchmaking and
gives the truest horological collectors the chance to be a part of watchmaking
history.
First
of all a minute repeater, this creation is based on the ultra-thin Manufacture
1731 movement, which by itself measures only 3.90 mm thick. Building on this,
Vacheron Constantin added a minute repeater mechanism from its “La Musique du
Temps®” range of sonnerie time pieces with one-of-a-kind chimes.
Partnering with Abbey Road Studios, Vacheron Constantin have been able to record
the unique sound print of this specially created chime, and have it certified
by the studio. In the words of Jeremy Huffelmann of Abbey Road Studios, “The
opportunity to capture the sonic identity of these incredible timepieces is a
privilege. These recordings perfectly encapsulate the shared values of
craftsmanship, expertise and excellence that define our collaboration, whilst
forever preserving the personality of these singular timepieces.”
Among
the 19 complications housed within the 12.54 mm thick, 18-karat 5N pink gold
case is a perpetual calendar function and three further time readouts: civil
time, solar time and sidereal time.
Telling civil time with hour and minute
hands, the third hand is reserved for solar time or the equation of time, which
varies from civil time by -16 to +14 minutes per day depending on the season. Caused
by the Earth’s elliptical orbit and the 24° inclination of Earth’s axis, this disparity
between civil time and true time is only resolved four times a year.
On the reverse is found a display of
sidereal time, with a star chart superimposed on two sapphire disks. Displaying
with the stars the Earth’s circuit through a 360° rotation, the 23 hour, 56
minute and 4 second sidereal day is mapped out for the dedicated horophile.
With
60 hours of power reserve, the manually wound, in-house calibre 1731 M820
movement is Geneva hallmarked and beats at 3 Hz or 21,600 vibrations per hour.
Foremost producers of superlative time pieces, Vacheron Constantin’s Les
Cabinotiers program is keeping the Geneva watchmaker current by drawing
from its past. A living embodiment of a legendary tradition, the Les
Cabinotiers Astronomical Striking Grand Complication – Ode to Music is not only
current, it is destined to be timeless.
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Phone: (778) 309-4816