{"lien_WSTV":"","tax_name":"deprecated","tax_rate":20,"id_manufacturer":"0","id_supplier":"0","id_category_default":"298","id_shop_default":"4","manufacturer_name":false,"supplier_name":false,"name":"Les Cabinotiers - Armillary Tourbillon \u2013 Tribute to infinite time","description":"<p><strong>Les Cabinotiers Le Temps Divin Greek mythology, chronometry and engraving <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Embargo lifted on 12 November 2024, 9AM CET<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0\u2022 Going back to the mythological origins of Time, Vacheron Constantin has focused on its physical dimension through Greek mythology, with the representation of the God Chronos.<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 The Calibre 1990 with a bi-axial tourbillon and retrograde hour indications protected by four patents.<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 A combination of engraving and guilloch\u00e9 work to adorn these pieces<\/p>\n<p>The Les Cabinotiers Le Temps Divin (divine time) series explore the notion of time in its various cultural and conceptual perceptions: physical and linear like a chronology; astronomical and cyclical like the seasons; metaphysical in the infinite stretching of the present moment. For each of these interpretations, Vacheron Constantin offers a journey towards different cultural horizons, a horological odyssey punctuated by the mechanics of time and staged by artistic crafts. The deity Chronos from Greek mythology has been chosen to embody organised and measurable physical and linear time. The latter takes the form of two editions equipped with Calibre 1990, featuring a bi axial armillary tourbillon regulator system with retrograde hours and minutes indication.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Time embodied by the god Chronos<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Le Temps Divin (divine time), a theme devoted to the myths and cultural perceptions of time, takes a documented approach brought to life by Vacheron Constantin's watchmakers and artisans. The physical notion of time \u2013 a linear, measurable concept \u2013 is represented by the \"features\" of the Greek god Chronos \u2013 Saturn in Roman mythology \u2013 father of the Horae (Hours), goddesses who personified the division of time. The Maison is no stranger to such evocations of ancient myths from Greco-Roman tradition. As showcased in numerous heritage pieces dating from the early 20th century, the depiction of figures from the pantheon or scenes from Hellenic daily life have often inspired Vacheron Constantin's artisans, as have the most distinctive monuments and decorative elements of these two civilisations, such as the Colosseum in Rome.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The Calibre 1990<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The timepieces evoking the god Chronos are equipped with Calibre 1990, whose black or blue colour \u2013 depending on the version \u2013 respectively results from NAC or PVD treatment. Protected by four patents, this movement has benefited from the technical developments made on the Les Cabinotiers Reference 57260, the most complex timepiece in the world when it was presented in 2015 with its 57 complications. A manual-winding movement with a 60-hour power reserve, Calibre 1990 features an instantaneous bi-retrograde display of time indications and a bi-axial armillary tourbillon with spherical balance-spring. The time can be read on the right-hand side thanks to a retrograde display with grade 5 titanium hands on a semi-circular track punctuated by Roman numerals for the hours and Arabic numerals for the minutes. Confined to a wide flange, this track reveals part of the movement, reinforcing the technical aspect of the timepiece already accentuated by the majestic construction of the regulator. The configuration of Calibre 1990 leaves ample space on the left hand part of the dial, occupied only by the bi-axial armillary tourbillon positioned at 9 o'clock beneath a bubble formed by the sapphire crystal. The distinctive feature of this regulator \u2013 operating at a rate of 18,000 vibrations per hour and bearing the small seconds hand \u2013 is its dual-axis construction with two interlocking aluminium carriages, each rotating at a speed of 60 seconds. At the heart of the tourbillon is a spherical balance-spring with no terminal curve, whose perfectly concentric beating ensures greater isochronism and therefore enhanced precision, in addition to the beneficial effect of the regulator's rotation that neutralises the effects of Earth's gravity.<\/p>\n<p>Each of these two technical developments has its own historical reference. This particular type of tourbillon owes its name to Antide Janvier \u2013 astronomer and watchmaker to King Louis XVI \u2013 one of whose greatest masterpieces was a moving sphere with a planetary wheel known as an armillary. The cylindrical balance-spring dates to Jacques-Fr\u00e9d\u00e9ric Houriet's invention in 1814 and is coupled here with an escapement featuring an escape-wheel and pallet-lever in silicon with diamond-polished pallets: materials featuring a very low friction coefficient and requiring no lubrication.<\/p>\n<p>The technical innovations of Calibre 1990 are protected by four patents:<\/p>\n<p>- The instantaneous retrograde system controlled by a single minutes cam that perfectly synchronises the jump of the two hands at midnight or noon.<\/p>\n<p>- The escapement collet, a component securing the inner end of the balance-spring, is made of titanium. This material matches that of the regulating organ, resulting in improved regulatory performance.<\/p>\n<p>- The architecture of the tourbillon carriage rotates every 15 seconds to form the Vacheron \u00a0Constantin\u2019s Maltese cross emblem.<\/p>\n<p>- The silicon pallet-lever with its diamond-polished pallets offers greater resistance to wear and friction.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong>Masterpieces of engraving and guilloch\u00e9 work <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Les Cabinotiers armillary tourbillon \u2013 Ode to Chronos<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0All the surfaces of the case components are decorated by the engraver. Geometrical motifs inspired by Greek friezes adorn the bezel, the case middle on the winding-crown side, the lugs and their sides, the interhorn space and the folding clasp. These are etched using the taille de joue intaglio technique used for ornamental engraving that involves working the material by tilting the chisel to achieve incisions of different sizes with depth effects through the brilliance of light. This process is particularly well-suited to small surfaces with grooves of no more than 0.2 mm, which are further enhanced by surface finishing using various polishing techniques. For the engraver, the difficulty lies in the regularity of touch when it comes to creating perfectly geometrical motifs, especially when their dimensions have to be adapted to irregular surfaces, such as the watch lugs.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0This accurate craftsmanship is complemented by a bas-relief depiction of the god himself holding the hourglass of time in his hand. This realistic micro-sculpture adorning the case middle at 9 o'clock is modelled in relief by removing the material to a depth of 0.5 mm for the sky and clouds in the background and 1 mm for the divine figure and its two wings. Delicately chiselled with burins of different sizes, the volumes are further refined with drypoint to bring out every detail, before the surfaces are polished and sandblasted to highlight the contrasts. In all, the engraving on this piece took more than 290 hours of craftsmanship, complemented by the hand-guilloch\u00e9 Clous de Paris hobnail pattern on the movement mainplate and bridges. T he caseback bears Ovid's famous injunction: \"Carpe Diem\".<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0Les Cabinotiers armillary tourbillon \u2013 Tribute to infinite time<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The white gold model is inspired by the famous dome of the Pantheon in Rome. The sides of the case were entrusted to the expert hands of the engraver, who has picked up the geometrical motifs of the dome with its radiant perspective. To achieve the effect of pyramidal depth on a flat surface, the engraver uses the taille de joue method, changing the angle of the chisel to gradually narrow the furrows between the squares of the motif. This optical illusion is a real challenge, as it has to adapt to the changing shape of the case middle that tapers towards the lugs. Some 120 hours of work are needed to achieve this result.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0The Master guillocheur was also involved in embellishing the calibre. As a reminder of the ornamentation on the case, an original geometrical motif was devised, extending over the movement mainplate and bridges. In addition to the difficulty of creating an angular geometric motif on rounded bases, the artisan has created seamless, harmonious and continuous decoration, despite the cut-out of the three bridges on the back of the movement.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0Questions for Style & Heritage Director, Christian Selmoni <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>What is the thinking behind the Greco-Roman references in these two new Les Cabinotiers models? <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>T he choice of Le Temps Divin as the theme for our new Les Cabinotiers collection opened up a number of avenues to explore when it came to illustrating the various connotations of Time with a capital 'T'. Physical time, cyclical time, metaphysical time: this intellectual approach had to find concrete applications through culturally meaningful representations. This is why Vacheron Constantin inevitably took an interest in mythology \u2013 hence Le Temps Divin \u2013 and notably Greco-Roman mythology with its gods. In this sense, Chronos, father of the Hours, was truly inescapable given that he personifies the linear time that is watchmakers\u2019 lifeblood. What's more, the ornamentation typical of ancient Greek friezes offers rigorous geometry that blends perfectly with the narrative of the Les Cabinotiers Armillary Tourbillon \u2013 Ode to Chronos timepiece. By extension, the Les Cabinotiers Armillary Tourbillon \u2013 Tribute to infinite time was inspired by a monument dating back to Ancient Roman times. The dome of the Pantheon in Rome features the implacable geometry that proved exemplary for this new watch.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What about watchmaking mechanics?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Calibre 1990 was chosen because of its architectural construction in three dimensions, with a bi-axial tourbillon occupying half the dial and a retrograde hours and minutes mechanism visible through the other half of the openworked dial. The rigorous geometry characterising these sources of inspiration is matched by the technical sophistication expressed by a movement revealing all its complexity, reflected in the ornamentation. All the watches from the Les Cabinotiers department are distinguished by these two inseparable aspects of the same approach, making each one a technical and aesthetic masterpiece that combines the science of watchmaking with the genius of artistic crafts.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Could you be more specific about the artistic crafts?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>One watch is entirely engraved with Greek-inspired geometrical friezes on all case components, with a bas-relief sculpture of the winged god Chronos holding the hourglass of Time in his hand on the left side of the case middle. On this model, the plate and bridges are adorned with a hand-guilloch\u00e9 Clous de Paris hobnail motif. The case middle of the second watch is engraved with a motif inspired by the Pantheon, while the mainplate and bridges are embellished with an original guilloch\u00e9 pattern, all in one piece despite the cut-out bridges. When thus listed, this type of operation might seem utterly prosaic, whereas that is clearly not the case. If one were to judge these creations by the time taken to create them, that would already give a good idea of the scale of the task. The Tribute to infinite time model took three weeks of engraving work, while the Ode to Chronos reference required more than twice that amount of time. These engraving and guilloch\u00e9 interventions represented a real challenge that was nonetheless essential given the aim of striking the right balance between the mechanical and decorative arts.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>","description_short":"","quantity":0,"minimal_quantity":"0","available_now":"","available_later":"","price":0,"specificPrice":false,"additional_shipping_cost":"0.00","wholesale_price":"0.000000","on_sale":"0","online_only":"0","unity":"","unit_price":0,"unit_price_ratio":"0.000000","ecotax":"0.000000","reference":"9890C\/000G-151C ","supplier_reference":"","location":"","width":"0.000000","height":"0.000000","depth":"0.000000","weight":"0.000000","ean13":"","upc":"","link_rewrite":"les-cabinotiers-armillary-tourbillon-ode-to-chronos","meta_description":"Les Cabinotiers Le Temps Divin Greek mythology, chronometry and engraving Embargo lifted on 12 November 2024, 9AM CET \u00a0\u2022 Going back to the mythological origi...","meta_keywords":"","meta_title":"Watch Vacheron Constantin Les Cabinotiers - Armillary Tourbillon \u2013 Tribute to infinite time | Cabinotiers 9890C\/000G-151C W...","quantity_discount":"0","customizable":"0","new":true,"uploadable_files":"0","text_fields":"0","active":"1","redirect_type":"","id_product_redirected":"0","available_for_order":"0","available_date":"0000-00-00","condition":"new","show_price":"1","indexed":"0","visibility":"both","date_add":"2024-12-18 02:12:49","date_upd":"2024-12-23 16:20:08","tags":false,"base_price":"0.000000","id_tax_rules_group":"1","id_color_default":0,"advanced_stock_management":"0","out_of_stock":2,"depends_on_stock":false,"isFullyLoaded":true,"cache_is_pack":"0","cache_has_attachments":"1","is_virtual":"0","id_pack_product_attribute":null,"cache_default_attribute":"0","category":"cabinotiers","pack_stock_type":"0","id":9172,"id_shop_list":null,"force_id":false,"customization_required":false}
{"Compl\u00e9ment":"White Gold - Blue Dial - Strap Alligator Leather","Statut de vente":"En vente depuis","Date":"2024","Sexe":"Homme","Diam\u00e8tre":"45","Epaisseur":" 20.10","Types":"Hand-winding","Styles":"High Horology","Calibre_autre":"1990","Calibre distinction":"Hallmark of Geneva","Affichage_autre":"Circular satin-finished grey hour-markers and \r\nanthracite minute track","Complication":"Retrograde hours and minutes,\r\n Small seconds on tourbillon,\r\n Armillary tourbillon","Mati\u00e8re du bo\u00eetier":"White gold","Particularit\u00e9 du boitier":"Transparent caseback, Sapphire caseback","Forme":"Round","Couleur du cadran":"Blue","Mati\u00e8re du bracelet":"Alligator leather","Fermeture du bracelet":"Folding buckle ","Couleur du bracelet":"Dark blue","Plus de caract\u00e9ristiques":"<br\/>\r\nMovement<br\/>\r\nCaliber 1990<br\/>\r\n Developed and manufactured by Vacheron Constantin <br\/>\r\nMechanical manual-winding <br\/>\r\n35.50 mm diameter, 10 mm thick <br\/>\r\nMovement power reserve: approximately 60 hours <br\/>\r\n2.5 Hz (18\u2019000 vibrations\/hour) <br\/>\r\n299 components <br\/>\r\n45 jewels <br\/>\r\nBlue front and back bridges with hand-guilloch\u00e9 geometric pattern<br\/>\r\n<br\/>\r\n Case<br\/>\r\n 18K hand-engraved white gold <br\/>\r\n<br\/>\r\nDial<br\/>\r\nSun satin-finished blue <br\/>\r\n<br\/>\r\nStrap \/ Buckles<br\/>\r\n Dark blue Mississippiensis alligator leather with alligator leather inner shell, \r\nhand-stitched, saddle-finish, large square scales <br\/>\r\n\r\nClasp 18K white gold folding clasp <br\/>\r\n<br\/>\r\nPresentation box & accessoryLes Cabinotiers model<br\/>\r\n<br\/>\r\n Unique timepiece <br\/>\r\n\u00ab Pi\u00e8ce unique \u00bb, \u00ab Les Cabinotiers \u00bb and \u00ab AC \u00bb hallmark engraved on the back of the timepiece "}
Les Cabinotiers - Armillary Tourbillon – Tribute to infinite time
9890C/000G-151C
| Brand : | Vacheron Constantin |
| Collection : | Cabinotiers |
| Model : | Les Cabinotiers - Armillary Tourbillon – Tribute to infinite time |
| Reference : | 9890C/000G-151C |
| Complement : | White Gold - Blue Dial - Strap Alligator Leather |
| On sale : | 2024 |
PDF INDEX CARD
-
Brand : Vacheron Constantin Collection : Cabinotiers Model : Les Cabinotiers - Armillary Tourbillon – Tribute to infinite time Reference : 9890C/000G-151C Complement : White Gold - Blue Dial - Strap Alligator Leather On sale : 2024 List Price : On request Diameter : 45 mm Thickness : 20.10 mm Styles : High Horology Types : Hand-winding Calibre : 1990 Calibre distinction : Hallmark of Geneva Complication : Retrograde hours and minutes Small seconds on tourbillon Armillary tourbillon Case material : White gold Case peculiarity : Transparent caseback Sapphire caseback Shape : Round Dial color : Blue Display : Circular satin-finished grey hour-markers and anthracite minute track Strap material : Alligator leather Strap color : Dark blue Strap clasp : Folding buckle + More characteristics :
Movement
Caliber 1990
Developed and manufactured by Vacheron Constantin
Mechanical manual-winding
35.50 mm diameter, 10 mm thick
Movement power reserve: approximately 60 hours
2.5 Hz (18’000 vibrations/hour)
299 components
45 jewels
Blue front and back bridges with hand-guilloché geometric pattern
Case
18K hand-engraved white gold
Dial
Sun satin-finished blue
Strap / Buckles
Dark blue Mississippiensis alligator leather with alligator leather inner shell, hand-stitched, saddle-finish, large square scales
Clasp 18K white gold folding clasp
Presentation box & accessoryLes Cabinotiers model
Unique timepiece
« Pièce unique », « Les Cabinotiers » and « AC » hallmark engraved on the back of the timepiece
DESCRIPTION
Les Cabinotiers Le Temps Divin Greek mythology, chronometry and engraving
Embargo lifted on 12 November 2024, 9AM CET
• Going back to the mythological origins of Time, Vacheron Constantin has focused on its physical dimension through Greek mythology, with the representation of the God Chronos.
• The Calibre 1990 with a bi-axial tourbillon and retrograde hour indications protected by four patents.
• A combination of engraving and guilloché work to adorn these pieces
The Les Cabinotiers Le Temps Divin (divine time) series explore the notion of time in its various cultural and conceptual perceptions: physical and linear like a chronology; astronomical and cyclical like the seasons; metaphysical in the infinite stretching of the present moment. For each of these interpretations, Vacheron Constantin offers a journey towards different cultural horizons, a horological odyssey punctuated by the mechanics of time and staged by artistic crafts. The deity Chronos from Greek mythology has been chosen to embody organised and measurable physical and linear time. The latter takes the form of two editions equipped with Calibre 1990, featuring a bi axial armillary tourbillon regulator system with retrograde hours and minutes indication.
Time embodied by the god Chronos
Le Temps Divin (divine time), a theme devoted to the myths and cultural perceptions of time, takes a documented approach brought to life by Vacheron Constantin's watchmakers and artisans. The physical notion of time – a linear, measurable concept – is represented by the "features" of the Greek god Chronos – Saturn in Roman mythology – father of the Horae (Hours), goddesses who personified the division of time. The Maison is no stranger to such evocations of ancient myths from Greco-Roman tradition. As showcased in numerous heritage pieces dating from the early 20th century, the depiction of figures from the pantheon or scenes from Hellenic daily life have often inspired Vacheron Constantin's artisans, as have the most distinctive monuments and decorative elements of these two civilisations, such as the Colosseum in Rome.
The Calibre 1990
The timepieces evoking the god Chronos are equipped with Calibre 1990, whose black or blue colour – depending on the version – respectively results from NAC or PVD treatment. Protected by four patents, this movement has benefited from the technical developments made on the Les Cabinotiers Reference 57260, the most complex timepiece in the world when it was presented in 2015 with its 57 complications. A manual-winding movement with a 60-hour power reserve, Calibre 1990 features an instantaneous bi-retrograde display of time indications and a bi-axial armillary tourbillon with spherical balance-spring. The time can be read on the right-hand side thanks to a retrograde display with grade 5 titanium hands on a semi-circular track punctuated by Roman numerals for the hours and Arabic numerals for the minutes. Confined to a wide flange, this track reveals part of the movement, reinforcing the technical aspect of the timepiece already accentuated by the majestic construction of the regulator. The configuration of Calibre 1990 leaves ample space on the left hand part of the dial, occupied only by the bi-axial armillary tourbillon positioned at 9 o'clock beneath a bubble formed by the sapphire crystal. The distinctive feature of this regulator – operating at a rate of 18,000 vibrations per hour and bearing the small seconds hand – is its dual-axis construction with two interlocking aluminium carriages, each rotating at a speed of 60 seconds. At the heart of the tourbillon is a spherical balance-spring with no terminal curve, whose perfectly concentric beating ensures greater isochronism and therefore enhanced precision, in addition to the beneficial effect of the regulator's rotation that neutralises the effects of Earth's gravity.
Each of these two technical developments has its own historical reference. This particular type of tourbillon owes its name to Antide Janvier – astronomer and watchmaker to King Louis XVI – one of whose greatest masterpieces was a moving sphere with a planetary wheel known as an armillary. The cylindrical balance-spring dates to Jacques-Frédéric Houriet's invention in 1814 and is coupled here with an escapement featuring an escape-wheel and pallet-lever in silicon with diamond-polished pallets: materials featuring a very low friction coefficient and requiring no lubrication.
The technical innovations of Calibre 1990 are protected by four patents:
- The instantaneous retrograde system controlled by a single minutes cam that perfectly synchronises the jump of the two hands at midnight or noon.
- The escapement collet, a component securing the inner end of the balance-spring, is made of titanium. This material matches that of the regulating organ, resulting in improved regulatory performance.
- The architecture of the tourbillon carriage rotates every 15 seconds to form the Vacheron Constantin’s Maltese cross emblem.
- The silicon pallet-lever with its diamond-polished pallets offers greater resistance to wear and friction.
Masterpieces of engraving and guilloché work
Les Cabinotiers armillary tourbillon – Ode to Chronos
All the surfaces of the case components are decorated by the engraver. Geometrical motifs inspired by Greek friezes adorn the bezel, the case middle on the winding-crown side, the lugs and their sides, the interhorn space and the folding clasp. These are etched using the taille de joue intaglio technique used for ornamental engraving that involves working the material by tilting the chisel to achieve incisions of different sizes with depth effects through the brilliance of light. This process is particularly well-suited to small surfaces with grooves of no more than 0.2 mm, which are further enhanced by surface finishing using various polishing techniques. For the engraver, the difficulty lies in the regularity of touch when it comes to creating perfectly geometrical motifs, especially when their dimensions have to be adapted to irregular surfaces, such as the watch lugs.
This accurate craftsmanship is complemented by a bas-relief depiction of the god himself holding the hourglass of time in his hand. This realistic micro-sculpture adorning the case middle at 9 o'clock is modelled in relief by removing the material to a depth of 0.5 mm for the sky and clouds in the background and 1 mm for the divine figure and its two wings. Delicately chiselled with burins of different sizes, the volumes are further refined with drypoint to bring out every detail, before the surfaces are polished and sandblasted to highlight the contrasts. In all, the engraving on this piece took more than 290 hours of craftsmanship, complemented by the hand-guilloché Clous de Paris hobnail pattern on the movement mainplate and bridges. T he caseback bears Ovid's famous injunction: "Carpe Diem".
Les Cabinotiers armillary tourbillon – Tribute to infinite time
The white gold model is inspired by the famous dome of the Pantheon in Rome. The sides of the case were entrusted to the expert hands of the engraver, who has picked up the geometrical motifs of the dome with its radiant perspective. To achieve the effect of pyramidal depth on a flat surface, the engraver uses the taille de joue method, changing the angle of the chisel to gradually narrow the furrows between the squares of the motif. This optical illusion is a real challenge, as it has to adapt to the changing shape of the case middle that tapers towards the lugs. Some 120 hours of work are needed to achieve this result.
The Master guillocheur was also involved in embellishing the calibre. As a reminder of the ornamentation on the case, an original geometrical motif was devised, extending over the movement mainplate and bridges. In addition to the difficulty of creating an angular geometric motif on rounded bases, the artisan has created seamless, harmonious and continuous decoration, despite the cut-out of the three bridges on the back of the movement.
Questions for Style & Heritage Director, Christian Selmoni
What is the thinking behind the Greco-Roman references in these two new Les Cabinotiers models?
T he choice of Le Temps Divin as the theme for our new Les Cabinotiers collection opened up a number of avenues to explore when it came to illustrating the various connotations of Time with a capital 'T'. Physical time, cyclical time, metaphysical time: this intellectual approach had to find concrete applications through culturally meaningful representations. This is why Vacheron Constantin inevitably took an interest in mythology – hence Le Temps Divin – and notably Greco-Roman mythology with its gods. In this sense, Chronos, father of the Hours, was truly inescapable given that he personifies the linear time that is watchmakers’ lifeblood. What's more, the ornamentation typical of ancient Greek friezes offers rigorous geometry that blends perfectly with the narrative of the Les Cabinotiers Armillary Tourbillon – Ode to Chronos timepiece. By extension, the Les Cabinotiers Armillary Tourbillon – Tribute to infinite time was inspired by a monument dating back to Ancient Roman times. The dome of the Pantheon in Rome features the implacable geometry that proved exemplary for this new watch.
What about watchmaking mechanics?
Calibre 1990 was chosen because of its architectural construction in three dimensions, with a bi-axial tourbillon occupying half the dial and a retrograde hours and minutes mechanism visible through the other half of the openworked dial. The rigorous geometry characterising these sources of inspiration is matched by the technical sophistication expressed by a movement revealing all its complexity, reflected in the ornamentation. All the watches from the Les Cabinotiers department are distinguished by these two inseparable aspects of the same approach, making each one a technical and aesthetic masterpiece that combines the science of watchmaking with the genius of artistic crafts.
Could you be more specific about the artistic crafts?
One watch is entirely engraved with Greek-inspired geometrical friezes on all case components, with a bas-relief sculpture of the winged god Chronos holding the hourglass of Time in his hand on the left side of the case middle. On this model, the plate and bridges are adorned with a hand-guilloché Clous de Paris hobnail motif. The case middle of the second watch is engraved with a motif inspired by the Pantheon, while the mainplate and bridges are embellished with an original guilloché pattern, all in one piece despite the cut-out bridges. When thus listed, this type of operation might seem utterly prosaic, whereas that is clearly not the case. If one were to judge these creations by the time taken to create them, that would already give a good idea of the scale of the task. The Tribute to infinite time model took three weeks of engraving work, while the Ode to Chronos reference required more than twice that amount of time. These engraving and guilloché interventions represented a real challenge that was nonetheless essential given the aim of striking the right balance between the mechanical and decorative arts.
Les Cabinotiers Le Temps Divin Greek mythology, chronometry and engraving
Embargo lifted on 12 November 2024, 9AM CET
• Going back to the mythological origins of Time, Vacheron Constantin has focused on its physical dimension through Greek mythology, with the representation of the God Chronos.
• The Calibre 1990 with a bi-axial tourbillon and retrograde hour indications protected by four patents.
• A combination of engraving and guilloché work to adorn these pieces
The Les Cabinotiers Le Temps Divin (divine time) series explore the notion of time in its various cultural and conceptual perceptions: physical and linear like a chronology; astronomical and cyclical like the seasons; metaphysical in the infinite stretching of the present moment. For each of these interpretations, Vacheron Constantin offers a journey towards different cultural horizons, a horological odyssey punctuated by the mechanics of time and staged by artistic crafts. The deity Chronos from Greek mythology has been chosen to embody organised and measurable physical and linear time. The latter takes the form of two editions equipped with Calibre 1990, featuring a bi axial armillary tourbillon regulator system with retrograde hours and minutes indication.
Time embodied by the god Chronos
Le Temps Divin (divine time), a theme devoted to the myths and cultural perceptions of time, takes a documented approach brought to life by Vacheron Constantin's watchmakers and artisans. The physical notion of time – a linear, measurable concept – is represented by the "features" of the Greek god Chronos – Saturn in Roman mythology – father of the Horae (Hours), goddesses who personified the division of time. The Maison is no stranger to such evocations of ancient myths from Greco-Roman tradition. As showcased in numerous heritage pieces dating from the early 20th century, the depiction of figures from the pantheon or scenes from Hellenic daily life have often inspired Vacheron Constantin's artisans, as have the most distinctive monuments and decorative elements of these two civilisations, such as the Colosseum in Rome.
The Calibre 1990
The timepieces evoking the god Chronos are equipped with Calibre 1990, whose black or blue colour – depending on the version – respectively results from NAC or PVD treatment. Protected by four patents, this movement has benefited from the technical developments made on the Les Cabinotiers Reference 57260, the most complex timepiece in the world when it was presented in 2015 with its 57 complications. A manual-winding movement with a 60-hour power reserve, Calibre 1990 features an instantaneous bi-retrograde display of time indications and a bi-axial armillary tourbillon with spherical balance-spring. The time can be read on the right-hand side thanks to a retrograde display with grade 5 titanium hands on a semi-circular track punctuated by Roman numerals for the hours and Arabic numerals for the minutes. Confined to a wide flange, this track reveals part of the movement, reinforcing the technical aspect of the timepiece already accentuated by the majestic construction of the regulator. The configuration of Calibre 1990 leaves ample space on the left hand part of the dial, occupied only by the bi-axial armillary tourbillon positioned at 9 o'clock beneath a bubble formed by the sapphire crystal. The distinctive feature of this regulator – operating at a rate of 18,000 vibrations per hour and bearing the small seconds hand – is its dual-axis construction with two interlocking aluminium carriages, each rotating at a speed of 60 seconds. At the heart of the tourbillon is a spherical balance-spring with no terminal curve, whose perfectly concentric beating ensures greater isochronism and therefore enhanced precision, in addition to the beneficial effect of the regulator's rotation that neutralises the effects of Earth's gravity.
Each of these two technical developments has its own historical reference. This particular type of tourbillon owes its name to Antide Janvier – astronomer and watchmaker to King Louis XVI – one of whose greatest masterpieces was a moving sphere with a planetary wheel known as an armillary. The cylindrical balance-spring dates to Jacques-Frédéric Houriet's invention in 1814 and is coupled here with an escapement featuring an escape-wheel and pallet-lever in silicon with diamond-polished pallets: materials featuring a very low friction coefficient and requiring no lubrication.
The technical innovations of Calibre 1990 are protected by four patents:
- The instantaneous retrograde system controlled by a single minutes cam that perfectly synchronises the jump of the two hands at midnight or noon.
- The escapement collet, a component securing the inner end of the balance-spring, is made of titanium. This material matches that of the regulating organ, resulting in improved regulatory performance.
- The architecture of the tourbillon carriage rotates every 15 seconds to form the Vacheron Constantin’s Maltese cross emblem.
- The silicon pallet-lever with its diamond-polished pallets offers greater resistance to wear and friction.
Masterpieces of engraving and guilloché work
Les Cabinotiers armillary tourbillon – Ode to Chronos
All the surfaces of the case components are decorated by the engraver. Geometrical motifs inspired by Greek friezes adorn the bezel, the case middle on the winding-crown side, the lugs and their sides, the interhorn space and the folding clasp. These are etched using the taille de joue intaglio technique used for ornamental engraving that involves working the material by tilting the chisel to achieve incisions of different sizes with depth effects through the brilliance of light. This process is particularly well-suited to small surfaces with grooves of no more than 0.2 mm, which are further enhanced by surface finishing using various polishing techniques. For the engraver, the difficulty lies in the regularity of touch when it comes to creating perfectly geometrical motifs, especially when their dimensions have to be adapted to irregular surfaces, such as the watch lugs.
This accurate craftsmanship is complemented by a bas-relief depiction of the god himself holding the hourglass of time in his hand. This realistic micro-sculpture adorning the case middle at 9 o'clock is modelled in relief by removing the material to a depth of 0.5 mm for the sky and clouds in the background and 1 mm for the divine figure and its two wings. Delicately chiselled with burins of different sizes, the volumes are further refined with drypoint to bring out every detail, before the surfaces are polished and sandblasted to highlight the contrasts. In all, the engraving on this piece took more than 290 hours of craftsmanship, complemented by the hand-guilloché Clous de Paris hobnail pattern on the movement mainplate and bridges. T he caseback bears Ovid's famous injunction: "Carpe Diem".
Les Cabinotiers armillary tourbillon – Tribute to infinite time
The white gold model is inspired by the famous dome of the Pantheon in Rome. The sides of the case were entrusted to the expert hands of the engraver, who has picked up the geometrical motifs of the dome with its radiant perspective. To achieve the effect of pyramidal depth on a flat surface, the engraver uses the taille de joue method, changing the angle of the chisel to gradually narrow the furrows between the squares of the motif. This optical illusion is a real challenge, as it has to adapt to the changing shape of the case middle that tapers towards the lugs. Some 120 hours of work are needed to achieve this result.
The Master guillocheur was also involved in embellishing the calibre. As a reminder of the ornamentation on the case, an original geometrical motif was devised, extending over the movement mainplate and bridges. In addition to the difficulty of creating an angular geometric motif on rounded bases, the artisan has created seamless, harmonious and continuous decoration, despite the cut-out of the three bridges on the back of the movement.
Questions for Style & Heritage Director, Christian Selmoni
What is the thinking behind the Greco-Roman references in these two new Les Cabinotiers models?
T he choice of Le Temps Divin as the theme for our new Les Cabinotiers collection opened up a number of avenues to explore when it came to illustrating the various connotations of Time with a capital 'T'. Physical time, cyclical time, metaphysical time: this intellectual approach had to find concrete applications through culturally meaningful representations. This is why Vacheron Constantin inevitably took an interest in mythology – hence Le Temps Divin – and notably Greco-Roman mythology with its gods. In this sense, Chronos, father of the Hours, was truly inescapable given that he personifies the linear time that is watchmakers’ lifeblood. What's more, the ornamentation typical of ancient Greek friezes offers rigorous geometry that blends perfectly with the narrative of the Les Cabinotiers Armillary Tourbillon – Ode to Chronos timepiece. By extension, the Les Cabinotiers Armillary Tourbillon – Tribute to infinite time was inspired by a monument dating back to Ancient Roman times. The dome of the Pantheon in Rome features the implacable geometry that proved exemplary for this new watch.
What about watchmaking mechanics?
Calibre 1990 was chosen because of its architectural construction in three dimensions, with a bi-axial tourbillon occupying half the dial and a retrograde hours and minutes mechanism visible through the other half of the openworked dial. The rigorous geometry characterising these sources of inspiration is matched by the technical sophistication expressed by a movement revealing all its complexity, reflected in the ornamentation. All the watches from the Les Cabinotiers department are distinguished by these two inseparable aspects of the same approach, making each one a technical and aesthetic masterpiece that combines the science of watchmaking with the genius of artistic crafts.
Could you be more specific about the artistic crafts?
One watch is entirely engraved with Greek-inspired geometrical friezes on all case components, with a bas-relief sculpture of the winged god Chronos holding the hourglass of Time in his hand on the left side of the case middle. On this model, the plate and bridges are adorned with a hand-guilloché Clous de Paris hobnail motif. The case middle of the second watch is engraved with a motif inspired by the Pantheon, while the mainplate and bridges are embellished with an original guilloché pattern, all in one piece despite the cut-out bridges. When thus listed, this type of operation might seem utterly prosaic, whereas that is clearly not the case. If one were to judge these creations by the time taken to create them, that would already give a good idea of the scale of the task. The Tribute to infinite time model took three weeks of engraving work, while the Ode to Chronos reference required more than twice that amount of time. These engraving and guilloché interventions represented a real challenge that was nonetheless essential given the aim of striking the right balance between the mechanical and decorative arts.
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Brand : Vacheron Constantin Collection : Cabinotiers Model : Les Cabinotiers - Armillary Tourbillon – Tribute to infinite time Reference : 9890C/000G-151C Complement : White Gold - Blue Dial - Strap Alligator Leather On sale : 2024 List Price : On request Diameter : 45 mm Thickness : 20.10 mm Styles : High Horology Types : Hand-winding Calibre : 1990 Calibre distinction : Hallmark of Geneva Complication : Retrograde hours and minutes Small seconds on tourbillon Armillary tourbillon Case material : White gold Case peculiarity : Transparent caseback Sapphire caseback Shape : Round Dial color : Blue Display : Circular satin-finished grey hour-markers and anthracite minute track Strap material : Alligator leather Strap color : Dark blue Strap clasp : Folding buckle More characteristics :
Movement
Caliber 1990
Developed and manufactured by Vacheron Constantin
Mechanical manual-winding
35.50 mm diameter, 10 mm thick
Movement power reserve: approximately 60 hours
2.5 Hz (18’000 vibrations/hour)
299 components
45 jewels
Blue front and back bridges with hand-guilloché geometric pattern
Case
18K hand-engraved white gold
Dial
Sun satin-finished blue
Strap / Buckles
Dark blue Mississippiensis alligator leather with alligator leather inner shell, hand-stitched, saddle-finish, large square scales
Clasp 18K white gold folding clasp
Presentation box & accessoryLes Cabinotiers model
Unique timepiece
« Pièce unique », « Les Cabinotiers » and « AC » hallmark engraved on the back of the timepiece