“Along the year there will be some surprises, we will keep celebrating our anniversary until December,” said Sandrine Donguy, product and innovation director of Vacheron Constantin.
Vacheron Constantin was founded by Jean-Marc Vacheron in 1755, and the brand has in 2025 released 12 novelties celebrating the brand’s 270th anniversary. All of them play in one way or another with the brand’s tell-tale Maltese cross symbol, which the brand registered as a logo in the early 19th century. For instance, in a modern twist, the symbol has been hand guillochéd in combination with extended abstract lines on the dials of four of the models. These include the Traditionnelle Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar and Traditionnelle Openface.
It is, however, Les Cabinotiers Solaria Ultra Grand Complication La Première that is making the biggest splash so far. This is the most complicated wristwatch ever made. “Solaria has 41 complications, from the simplest to the most complicated, and all is executed with hand-made high watchmaking decorations,” said Ms. Donguy. “We are really pushing boundaries with the Solaria. Last year we presented the most complicated watch ever, Les Cabinotiers Berkley pocket watch with 63 complications, and after eight years of development we also have the most complicated wristwatch with 41 complications and 13 patents, seven of which have to do with the minute repeater Westminster Carillon.”
Another one of these patents is related to the self-explanatory Plug and Play system, which describes the easy way of attaching the astronomical module to the base calibre. While paying an insane amount of attention to every detail imaginable, the white gold watch is also surprisingly wearable. It is only 14.99 millimetres thick and has a 45-millimetre diameter.
“For me the most outstanding complication is the sky chart on the back. Here you have a split second chrono with two hands, which enables you to track celestial objects,” said Ms. Donguy.
Among the dozen three Les Cabinotiers Tribute to the Tour de L’Ile celebrating the brand’s expertise in métiers d’art, namely figurative guilloché Grand Feu miniature enamelling, and engraving. “The tower, which was home to Vacheron Constantin’s atelier in the 18th century, has inspired quite a number of creations that capture the essence of our shared history,” Ms. Donguy said of the downtown Geneva motif of the three unique pieces in platinum and gold.
Several of the novelties are referring to Vacheron Constantin’s “signature calibres”. “Retrograde has been important for us since the 1950s, and since 2019 Traditionnelle Twin Beat we have had openfaces,” said Ms. Donguy of the Traditionnelle openface references, which comes in three Anniversary Limited Editions: Traditionnelle Perpetual Calendar Retrograde Date Openface, Traditionnelle Tourbillon Retrograde Date Openface, and Traditionnelle Complete Calendar Openface.
“We pay tribute to many different periods,” said Ms. Donguy, adding that the 270th anniversary is living proof that today’s team is only here as “guardian of the Maison”. “Today our mission is to perpetuate and build for the coming 100 years. On the broader and larger scale we are confident that we are still here in 100 years; we are quite confident the future is bright.”
