Not all images were able to load for printing. Please close the print window and try again. The Impressive Vacheron Constantin Les Cabinotiers Temporis Duo Grand Complication Openface
A one-off, bespoke beauty with three complications and a contemporary open-faced sapphire dial.
Not many brands can claim 270 years of uninterrupted production, fewer still can compete with the mechanical and aesthetic excellence of Vacheron Constantin’s exclusive Les Cabinotiers atelier dedicated to creating bespoke pieces for collectors. The latest marvel to emerge from Les Cabinotiers is this Temporis Duo Grand Complication Openface, a unique piece with a medley of complications rarely found in wristwatches. Equipped with a split-seconds chronograph, a minute repeater and a tourbillon regulator with a spherical hairspring, every step in the development of the Temporis was lovingly crafted by a single watchmaker. With its openworked sapphire dial, the grand complications on board the Temporis are displayed in a contemporary setting.
Given the sheer volume of components of the new grand complication – almost 700 – and the ensuing height of the movement, this particular trilogy of complications is more suited to pocket watches. However, Vacheron had already experimented with this mix in 2022 with its one-off Les Cabinotiers powered by the calibre 2757. The new watch is powered by the same calibre but now revealed in all its complexity through the openworked dial and caseback.
To reduce weight and enhance the operating efficiency of Calibre 2757 S, different materials were employed. Some of the wheels in the gear train are made of titanium, the split-seconds lever and its insulator are made of silicon (no lubrication required) and the chronograph seconds hands are made from ultra-light yet rigid aluminium. The reduction in weight and friction contributes to the 50-hour power reserve with the chronograph engaged.
To guarantee the chronograph’s functions, which run at a 1/5th of a second accuracy, the watch is equipped with two column wheels – one for the chronograph and the other for the split-seconds hand. Other developments include the ingenious and silent flying strike governor to even out energy released by the repeater spring, ensuring there is no background noise to interfere with the chimes. The isochronism of the tourbillon has also been enhanced with the spherical hairspring that expands and contracts concentrically.
The openworked dial, featuring sapphire crystal counters, gives the watch a remarkably contemporary face. Decorated with polished and frosted surfaces, the counters are framed by gold rings and suspended above the movement. The displays are off-centred: hours and minutes at 9 o’clock, a 30-minute chrono counter at 2 o’clock and a tourbillon with small seconds at 6 o’clock. A nod to Vacheron’s traditional logo, the tourbillon cage is shaped like a Maltese cross. Providing a dash of colour, the peripheral minutes track, the two central chronograph seconds hands, and the hand in the 30-minute counter are green, matching the green alligator leather strap.
The aesthetics and finishes of the watch weigh as much as the mechanical prowess, and decorating the calibre took twice as long to finish as it did to assemble and fit inside the case. Both sides of the watch reveal the high level of hand-finishing with bevelled, polished, satin-finished, grained, engraved and beadblasted components. Another modern touch is the black NAC coating on the sandblasted bridges and mainplate contrasting with the hand-chamfered sinks for the jewels and the mirror-polished screws. Visible on the caseback are the gongs and hammers, the power reserve indicator and the striking governor engraved with JMV (Jean-Marc Vacheron) and its rounded hand-polished bridge.
As you would expect, the 18k pink gold case is substantial, measuring 45mm in diameter and 16.4mm in height. The pusher at 2 o’clock activates the start/stop/reset functions of the chrono, while the one at 4 o’clock corresponds to the split-seconds stop/reset. The slider on the left case flank activates the minute repeater.
The Vacheron Constantin Les Cabinotiers Temporis Duo Grand Complication Openface is a single-piece edition. Price is upon request. More information at vacheron-constantin.com.
