At this year’s Watches and Wonders trade fair in Geneva, Swiss luxury watchmaker Vacheron Constantin unveiled what is now officially the most complicated mechanical wristwatch ever created.
This one-of-a-kind timepiece does more than tell time. It tracks the sun’s position, chimes with the delicate sound of hammers striking four miniature gongs, and even calculates when certain stars will be visible from Earth.
In horology, a “complication” refers to any feature beyond basic timekeeping—such as a moon phase display or a perpetual calendar. The Solaria Ultra Grand Complication pushes this concept to new heights, integrating a record-breaking number of functions within its intricate 1,521-component mechanism.
A modern masterpiece
With a sleek, minimalist dial, the watch embraces a distinctly modern aesthetic. The reverse side, with its grey metallization and restrained color palette, evokes the look of a precision gauge on a car dashboard.
Seen during a fair preview, the watch features three different ways to measure time: standard 24-hour time, sidereal time (which accounts for Earth’s rotation against the fixed stars), and solar time (adjusted for the planet’s elliptical orbit). It also boasts astronomical complications that track the sun’s height, trajectory, and angle relative to Earth’s equator. A rotating display featuring the zodiac’s 13 constellations allows wearers to determine when these celestial formations will next be visible in the night sky.
The case, made from 18-karat white gold, houses over 200 jewels, including sapphire discs. The watchmaker has filed 13 patent applications to protect its innovations—seven of which pertain to its sophisticated chiming mechanism.
A legacy of innovation
Founded in 1755 and now owned by the Richemont Group, Vacheron Constantin already holds the record for the most complicated pocket watch. Its Berkley Grand Complication, unveiled last year, features 63 complications, including a Chinese perpetual calendar. However, pocket watches offer significantly more space than wristwatches, making the achievement of fitting 41 complications into a 45mm wristwatch case all the more remarkable.
Christian Selmoni, the brand’s style and heritage director, called the new wristwatch a “feat of miniaturization.” According to him, the challenge lay in arranging the tiny components in the most compact and logical manner possible.
“The main objective was to bring together all the major complications—timekeeping, calendar, chronograph, and chiming—on a single base plate while concentrating the astronomical functions on an additional plate,” Selmoni explained in a press release. “Thanks to this construction, we were able to create a wristwatch with harmonious proportions.”
After eight years of meticulous craftsmanship, the Les Cabinotiers Solaria Ultra Grand Complication stands as a testament to Vacheron Constantin’s relentless pursuit of horological excellence.
Source: CNN