Vacheron Constantin’s Les Cabinotiers department has once again redefined the boundaries of horological excellence. At this year’s Watches & Wonders Geneva, the brand unveiled the Les Cabinotiers Solaria Ultra Grand Complication— the most complex wristwatch ever created, celebrating the brand’s 270th anniversary.
Housed in a 45mm, 18k white-gold case, the Solaria impresses with its remarkably slim profile of just 14.99mm—thinner than some automatic chronographs. It’s paired with a sporty black calfskin leather strap featuring a woven texture and secured by a white-gold folding buckle. A sapphire crystal covers both the front and back, though unsurprisingly, there’s no official water resistance rating—because, let’s be honest, no one would dare expose this masterpiece to even the faintest hint of moisture.
With its 41 intricately arranged complications spread across two dials—a primary front dial and a back dial with a celestial theme—the Solaria is a marvel of complexity. These complex functions can be divided into the following categories: Six time-related, eight Gregorian perpetual calendar, three lunar, fourteen astronomical, five chiming, four chronographs, and an indicator of power reserve.
Astronomy has been intrinsically linked to timekeeping and navigation for as long as humanity has understood these concepts. Vacheron Constantin’s latest innovation is found on the caseback, where a celestial vault is etched into a sapphire crystal. When used alongside the split-seconds chronograph, this remarkable complication allows you to determine when a specific constellation—or any celestial object—will appear at the center of your night sky. As explained by Vacheron, this is how you use them:
“To operate the complication, the user visually selects a given star on the celestial chart, then activates the chronograph. When the chronograph hand reaches the green reference marker, stop the first hand but let the second hand continue until it reaches the current position of the chosen star, then stop the hand. The time (in hours) that must elapse until the user will see the chosen star in the sky is indicated by the green triangle on the small counter in the centre of the dial. The peripheral month display marked on the back crystal enables the wearer to adjust the celestial vault to reflect the Earth’s position in its orbit around the Sun.”
At the heart of the Solaria lies the Calibre 3655, an astonishingly complex movement measuring a mere 36mm in diameter and 10.96mm in thickness. This horological marvel, comprised of 1,521 components and 204 jewels, operates at a 3Hz frequency and provides a 72-hour power reserve. Given its extraordinary complexity, mastering all the functions of this timepiece will undoubtedly require dedicated study of the accompanying manual.
The Vacheron Constantin Les Cabinotiers Solaria Ultra Grand Complication is now available for purchase, though its price and availability details have yet to be disclosed. Each timepiece will be made to order based on the customer’s request, with bespoke options ensuring that every piece remains one-of-a-kind.
All Images Courtesy of Vacheron Constantin
