Vacheron Constantin commemorates its 270th anniversary by engineering portals to different dimensions of time itself. The new Les Cabinotiers Cosmica Duo Grand Complication, part of the 'La Quête' series, takes this vision to its logical extreme: a reversible, double-sided masterpiece that allows its wearer to choose between measuring civil time or solar time simply by flipping the watch over. This isn't merely technical showmanship—it's a philosophical statement about humanity's relationship with cosmic measurement.
The reversibility mechanism itself represents a triumph of ergonomic design. Housed in a 47 mm diameter, 20.20 mm thick 18K white gold case—remarkable dimensions considering the movement's complexity—the watch features articulated lugs with tool-free removable strap attachments that secure on either fixing bar. Short, rounded lugs hold the watch without resting on the wrist, allowing the dark blue Mississippiensis alligator leather strap to reverse freely while maintaining comfort and stability.
The Indications: Front
The predominantly blue dial—constructed from an impressive 22 parts—presents a celestial journey that balances visual poetry with technical sophistication. An off-center hour and minute counter simultaneously displays a Northern Hemisphere sky chart that rotates according to sidereal time, marked on the periphery. This chart reproduces the movement of constellations across a sidereal day lasting 23 hours, 56 minutes, and 4 seconds—the actual time Earth takes to complete a full 360-degree rotation relative to a fixed star, approximately four minutes faster than our standardized 24-hour day. A light-colored ellipse highlights what an observer can see in real time, creating a dynamic astronomical display on the wrist.
This ingenious layout accommodates two perpetual calendar counters: one at 5 o'clock, displaying months and leap years on an 8-year cycle, and another at 7 o'clock, showing days of the week and dates. A second time zone is indicated through an openwork orange coaxial hand, with day/night counters at 4 o'clock and 8 o'clock for local and home time, respectively. A window at 6 o'clock displays the city name from among 24 time zones.
The Indications: Back
Flip the watch over to reveal the mechanical side—an openwork dial constructed from 28 parts that exposes Calibre 2756-B1's beating heart and its tourbillon. Here, central hands indicate true solar time, with the minute hand bearing the sun symbol. This presents the running equation of time, displaying both solar and civil time simultaneously on opposite sides of the watch. The differences, ranging from minus 16 minutes 23 seconds to plus 14 minutes 22 seconds daily, result from Earth's axial tilt and elliptical orbit—a variance that coincides with standardized time only at the solstices and equinoxes. Sunrise and sunset times flank this display at 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock, while at 6 o'clock, a retrograde hand on a semi-circular counter tracks the moon's age and phases with precision, requiring correction only once every 1,000 years.
Brand New Calibre: 2756-B1
At the heart of this singular creation beats the entirely new Calibre 2756-B1, a four-year development odyssey that required 1,003 components working in perfect mechanical harmony. Based on the Calibre 2756 introduced in 2020, this evolution represents a near-complete reimagining of the original. While the base movement powering the minute repeater and tourbillon received targeted modifications, the two additional plates controlling the perpetual calendar, celestial chart, and astronomical indications were essentially rebuilt from scratch. The result is a 33.30 mm diameter, 12.45 mm thick manual-winding movement beating at 18,000 vph with 112 jewels and a 60-hour power reserve—extraordinary specifications for a calibre housing 24 complications.
The minute repeater, inspired by the 2005 Tour de l'Île, employs Vacheron Constantin's distinctive striking regulator visible at 8 o'clock through the openwork dial. Two optimized weights generate centripetal force, creating an "engine brake" on the striking bar, which smooths the barrel's energy release, resulting in distinct, harmonious, and perfectly rhythmical chimes. At 12 o'clock, the tourbillon—housed in the signature Maltese cross cage—counteracts the effects of gravity while supporting a retrograde power reserve indicator, presenting an additional construction challenge.
Summary
Reference 9780C/000G-087C, Hallmark of Geneva certified, the Cosmica Duo Grand Complication represents Vacheron Constantin's most ambitious expression of astronomical watchmaking. For the collector seeking the ultimate grand complication, this reversible universe offers not just technical mastery, but the philosophical freedom to choose between mankind's measured time and the cosmos's true rhythm.
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