Let me take you 8 years back…
The first ‘Transformers’ movie released and all the guys (including me, of course) couldn’t stop admiring Megan Fox. Steve Jobs announced the very first iPhone. But, in the midst of all this chaos, there were three Master Watchmakers from Vacheron Constantin who seemed to be least bothered about the iPhone or Megan Fox (Umm… yeah sure!). Their objective was plain and not so simple: To Create the Most Complicated Watch in the World.
And indeed they did.
Now, any feature of the watch beyond and above that of time-telling qualifies as a complication. In general, day/date displays, alarms, chronograph, etc. are all common complications. But to really appreciate The Vacheron Constantin Ref. 57260, aka The Most Complicated Watch in the World, one needs to dive deep into its horological ocean.
- It’s a Numbers Game:
A single owner possessing the unique custom built timepiece
3 Master Watchmakers taking 8 years to build
Double-faced with 31 hands
57 Complications with 10+ patents filed
85 different prototypes made from 16 kg of drawings
Made up of 2826 individual parts
Mechanical movement with 242 Jewels and 60 hours of power reserve
and countless millions poured for the 960 grams of 18k white gold masterpiece.
Phew!
- Former World Record Holder:
The Patek Philippe Caliber 89 held the record earlier for the most complicated watch with 33 Complications, 1728 individual components and 24 hands. Vacheron on the 260th day of their 260th anniversary year, went ahead and not only revealed a watch with more number of complications, they smashed it out of the park by introducing 10 brand new never-before-seen complications.
- Atelier Cabinotiers:
Vacheron Constantin is the oldest manufacturer of fine watches in the world. And since the very beginning, they are renowned to create stunning bespoke watches. From Tsar Alexander II to the Maharajah of Patiala to the well-known automobile manufacturer James Ward Packard; were some of the recognized people to ever own a unique custom-built timepiece from Vacheron.
The now, owner of the Ref. 57260 spoke with Atelier Cabinotiers (the special made to order division of Vacheron) and requested them for a watch with a minimum 36 complications. But interestingly, after just a few back and forth conversations and meetings between the brand executives, a deal was made which resulted in this once in a lifetime magnificent timepiece.
- Double-Faced Dial:
To create a watch with 57 complications is one thing, but how do you even fit all those complications on two dials measuring only 72 mm in diameter? This is where the Vacheron’s attention to detail and remarkable craftsmanship is on full display. When you look at the regulator-styled (hours and minutes hand are detached) dials, the words harmony and synergy comes to your mind. Every complication on the dial is well laid with enough spacing and distinct characteristics. Due to the focus on the Complications, the readability and visibility of this watch is strictly underrated which according to me shows Vacheron’s maturity as watchmakers.
- Tourbillon & Astronomical Complications:
One of the favorite complications of watch lovers are Tourbillons. I call them more of a ‘novelty and show-off’ complication (even though I like them). And just when you thought you had seen it all, the 57260 boasts of what Vacheron calls an ‘Armillary Sphere Tourbillon’. Named after the Armillary Sphere, a scientific instrument consisting of spherical skeleton of rings, this triple-axis tourbillion is three times the size and one-third the weight of an average Tourbillon.
However, the real beauty lies in inner working of some of these mind-boggling complications. The spherical escapement wheel (made by Vacheron “in-house”) inside the triple-axis Tourbillon makes the hour & minute mechanism move, which are interconnected to these other sets of enormously complex gears and barrels. These components probably move as slowly as the time it took to mathematically calculate and implement some of the simple complications like the day/date functions, to the more fanatic astronomical functions including constellations of the night sky (visible from the owner’s city), sunrise & sunset times, signs of the zodiacs, Equation of time and what not.
- Calendar & Chiming Functions:
The Astronomical Complications along with the Calendar Functions can be found on both dials. These calendars will literally tell you all you need to know about the day. One of the never-before-seen complications includes two Perpetual Calendars – One the straightforward calendar displaying the day, date, month & the year (including leap year). The second one is an ISO 8601 calendar system usually used in the financial world. Linked to the first perpetual calendar, it divides a single year into weeks and gives each week a number. And to top it off, Vacheron added the full perpetual Hebrew Calendar which propelled this pocket watch to new heights.
Any mammoth complication timepiece is incomplete without the Striking Complications (complication that audibly strikes the hours and minutes at a press of a button). Vacheron gave the 57260 a-full-blown-orchestra of chiming functions. Grande Sonnerie, Petite Sonnerie, Minute repeating, Alarm and out of the ordinary a Night Time mode (similar to a silent mode on our phones) which is set from 10:00 PM to 8:00 AM on the owner’s request. Further, it has this super-cool-magic-trick up its sleeve, where if you turn the bow of the watch by just a quarter, a secret hand (secondary crown) comes out, which can be used to set the alarm.
- Chronographs & Further Functions:
Vacheron watchmakers went all-in into building an innovative & modified double chrono movement, which can be seen on the 57260. A Split-Second/ Double chronograph has two seconds hands, each one having the flexibility of starting, stopping & resetting independently of the other. What the 57260 was able to achieve was a Mono-Pusher Rattrapante Detached Chronograph, which uses a single pusher to set up the conventional stopwatch and a separate pusher for the split-second chronograph. As a result, even though both of the hands work on same axis, they never meet and their operation is based on two separate scales on the opposing sides of the dial. Such a nifty complication can only be expected from the house of top watchmakers like Vacheron.
The list of the Complications keeps going on. Some of my other favorites include the moonphase display accurate up to a single day of error in 1027 years, the world-time function with 24 reference cities and a Religious calendar based on Judaism.
- Unique Box:
The watch comes with a unique mahogany box with name of the owner inscribed on the top and a mirror positioned inside it to view both the dials. The box closes in two parts. When the primary top is closed, it gives the watch a small sneak preivew-ish look. The box also comes with a large keyhole and key, adding a touch of personalization to an already extremely prized possession.
- Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève:
Few days back, The Grand Prix d’Horlogerie which also known as the Oscars of the watch industry took place and coincidentally, I had just started writing this article on the same day. And it so happened, that the three Master Watchmakers received a ‘Special Jury Award’ for their work on developing the Ref. 57260. After dedicating eight long years of their life to a single project, such recognition is rightfully deserved.
- Future Offspring:
When Vacheron started building this watch, they wanted to not only build brand new complications but look at the existing ones in an innovatively fresh way. With 85 different prototypes and 10+ patents filed, we surely might find some future Vacheron watches already drawing inspiration from this beast. A rose-gold Vacheron with the triple-axis tourbillion? Who knows? The possibilities are boundless.
Simplified by Yogen Bobde
