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Le Temps Celeste, 3 pieces of next-level craftsmanship from the inner sanctum of Vacheron Constantin Le Temps Celeste, 3 pieces of next-level craftsmanship from the inner sanctum of Vacheron Constantin

Le Temps Celeste, 3 pieces of next-level craftsmanship from the inner sanctum of Vacheron Constantin

Thor Svaboe

Writing this I feel the need to put on a double-breasted suit. But even then, I suspect that I still wouldn’t feel suitably attired for an encounter with Le Temps Celeste, a trio of wrist art within Les Cabinotiers, Vacheron’s upper echelon of historical and ultra-complex timepieces. Consider these mere examples of the bespoke possibilities of Vacheron Constantin, starting with a piece unique minute repeater adorned with a tourbillon and the dark glow of sapphires.

le temps celeste

 

Minute Repeater Tourbillon Sky Chart – Leo Constellation Jewellery

The enigmatic connection to the stars is immediately apparent in the breathtaking complexity of this dark blue minute repeater from Vacheron Constantin. The craftsmanship within Les Cabinotiers, the mecca of hand-crafted horlogerie within Vacheron is brazenly evident in some of the best gem setting of a case I’ve come across. The 18K gold becomes intense in light refraction when polished and, while it might seem similar to steel in a press shot, believe me, this is another world of deep lustre.

The slender lugs of the 45mm case are set with baguette-cut sapphires like the bezel. The five baguette-cut stones are set with such precision that I can see a mere millimetre-wide sliver of white gold in the dark blue facetted sweep of the traditional lugs. The arched minute repeater slide is also set with sapphires, and the crown itself around its circumference. The bezel itself is a matching circle of dark indigo stones, framing a delicately off-set dial design. Inspired by the Celestial universe, this minute repeater with its hypnotizing tourbillon at 6 o’clock is a piece unique, to be viewed as an example of the small, Les Cabinotiers department and what they can achieve for a true connoisseur of the brand.

This is a new version of the model first shown in 2018, epitomising craftsmanship, crossing over onto haute gioellerie with its deep blue gem setting. On the reverse, the darkness of space is projected through a detailed sky chart disc, which rotates at a speed of sidereal time. From a given point, a star found at one location in the sky will be found in the same place not 24 hours later, but 23 hours, 56 minutes and 4 seconds later. Now you can try your best to comprehend the deep knowledge of horology needed to translate this into a calibre working on our solar 24 hour timescale. To give yourself a minute to let this sink in, the dial itself is a haven of dark calm, with hand-applied guillochè representing the Leo constellation, with inset flawless diamonds representing the stars. Suffice to say, that with the aural magic created by a minute repeater, this is simply a calling card for Vacheron as a top-tier manufacturer, and difficult to describe without resorting to the odd clichè, so I’ll conclude that this is simply what horological dreams are made of. Deep blue ones. Price: POA

 

Armillary Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar Planetaria

From one knockout piece of horology to another and, much like the dark blues of the Minute Repeater with its sky chart, worthy of a thesis-length article rather than a short introductory piece. This is a more contemporary micro-engineered piece. It feels almost insulting using the word wristwatch, as the knowledge, skills and pure man hours needed to complete the assembly of one of these three pieces would baffle you.

But then, wristwatches are not mere time-telling tools any more are they?  This is surely an investment that will give you (excuses hereby offered) rather more joy than a static piece of art or god forbid, a Non Fungible Token of non-physical ownership. Once again we have the dazzling slow twirl of the sharp-edged design of a tourbillon at 9 o’clock, a twin axis armillary design that, rightly so, dominates the dial of the 18K pink gold cased watch. The case itself is merely the ergonomic frame for a vastly complex dial with the tourbillon taking most of your attention, and the almost incidental showing of the time  on a small register at three, its chapter ring legible and surrounding the hand-finished moon-phase complication.

At 12 and 6 we have the northern and southern hemispheres in 3-D, with a day/night indication and a retrograde date, and 24 hour indication counters angled towards the swirl of the tourbillon, as if it were a representation of our Sun. This masterpiece takes its inspiration from caliber 1990 with its twin axis tourbillon, but this is a brand new calibre for Vacheron Constantin with the further enhanced complications and its beguiling twin hemipsheres. With its 65 hours of power reserve, the reference 9820C/000R-B707 has all the right reasons for its 46mm x 20.2mm thick case. One look through its clear caseback will leave you full of questions and awe. This is rather more than a mere watch. Price: POA

 

Regulator Perpetual Calendar Moonlight Jewellery

As the third piece in the halo series of Le Temps Celeste from Vacheron Constantin, this is the slimmest reference. In fact,  the 2460 RQP self-winding perpetual calendar movement at the heart of this diamond-set 18K white gold case is seriously slim. For a QP-complication to manage a total thickness of a svelte 11.8mm takes some doing. With a normal 4hz, 28,800 VPH beat, we have the foundations for what is one of the most intricate dials out of the trio.

The classic sweep of bold lugs hold a 42mm delicate case, with the multi-layered dial detail framed by a bezel set with 44 baguette-cut diamonds. Starting from the rehaut we have a deep navy blue that matches perfectly with the alligator leather strap, and the visible pops the square baguette sapphires make in the inner gem-set circle of dazzling light. The inner dial itself has a spiral fan-shaped guillochè pattern. On it, the time is conveyed at a large subdial at 12 via a single feuille hour hand as this is designed as a regulateur, with the large minute hand sweeping in slow majesty across the dial.

We have delicately cut windows for day and month, while the date itself has a cheeky round window at four within the hour dial, and the busy register at 6 shows the date and moon phase. The 2460 RQP caliber powering the Regulator Perpetual Calendar Moonlight Jewellery is dedicated to Les Cabinotiers unique pieces, and is a self winding movement with 334 components and a 40 hour power reserve. In short, it’s a hell of a watch. Price: POA

Made in partnership with Vacheron Constantin. However, the opinions expressed in this article are our own in accordance with our Editorial Policy.