Vacheron Constantin just dropped something very special: a dozen hand-guilloché constellation watches that'll make your wallet weep—and your wrist sing—, but well worth it. When Vacheron Constantin decides to celebrate the night sky, they don't mess around. The new Métiers d'Art Tribute to the Celestial collection brings us twelve references, each one a love letter to a specific zodiac constellation rendered in the kind of hand-crafted artistry that makes other watchmakers quietly weep into their mass-produced dials.
The Heritage
Vacheron Constantin isn't just randomly jumping into zodiac watches. They've been doing celestial pieces since their Art Deco days, with a notable 1927 table clock collaboration with Verger Frères. The modern zodiac obsession took off with their "Legend of the Chinese Zodiac" series starting in 2012, and this new collection builds on the success of their 2021 Les Cabinotiers Leo constellation piece.
The Good Stuff: What Makes These Tick
Let's talk about what matters. Each 39 mm white gold case—10.7mm thick—houses the ultra-thin Calibre 2160—a self-winding tourbillon movement that's just 5.65mm thick and packs an impressive 80-hour power reserve. At 2.5 Hz (18,000 vph) with 188 components and 30 jewels, this isn't just any movement. The peripheral rotor means you get unobstructed views of all that gorgeous hand-finishing because if you're going to spend this kind of money, you want to see every beveled edge and Côtes de Genève stripe.
These watches represent everything that's both magnificent and maddening about haute horlogerie. The craftsmanship is genuinely extraordinary—the kind of hand-work that's becoming increasingly rare in our industrialized world. The attention to detail borders on the obsessive, from the heat-blued screws to the Maltese Cross-shaped tourbillon cage.
This is jewelry-level luxury watchmaking, where the astronomical price tag—pun intended—puts these pieces firmly in the "if you have to ask" category. The Poinçon de Genève certification guarantees quality, but it also guarantees exclusivity.
The complete lineup spans all 12 zodiac signs, with reference numbers running from 6007A/000G-H042 for Aries through 6007A/000G-H053 for Pisces. Each piece gets the same fundamental specifications, but with constellation-specific dial artwork that makes every reference unique.
The real story here is the dial work. Each zodiac sign gets hand-guilloché treatment that takes approximately 16 hours per piece. We're talking about a technique that VC's master guillocheur developed specifically for figurative work—moving beyond traditional geometric patterns to create actual illustrations through thousands of precisely angled triangles. The constellation maps are picked out in diamonds with the principal stars getting brilliant-cut stones that catch light like, well, actual stars.
The Bling Factor
Those aren't just any sapphires adorning the bezel. Vacheron Constantin loaded these pieces with 96 baguette-cut blue sapphires totaling about 3.87 carats, channel-set to create an uninterrupted circle of blue fire around the dial. The gem setting alone requires 27 hours of work per watch. The crown, lugs, and buckle all get the sapphire treatment too, because subtlety is not in the vocabulary when you're channeling the cosmos.
Even the strap gets the luxury treatment—dark blue alligator leather with matching lining, secured by an 18K white gold folding clasp set with an additional 16 baguette-cut sapphires—approx 0.53 carats. Water resistance is rated at 30 meters, which should be plenty for admiring your reflection in still water.
The Dial Dance
Here's where things get properly complicated. Each dial starts with a 5N gold base and goes through eight separate construction steps, with multiple artisans working in sequence. The base gets constellation outlines marked, receives a sunburst finish, and then the guilloché work begins. After that comes the tourbillon aperture cutting, blue color application, constellation line machining, protective varnish, and finally the diamond setting for the constellation stars.
The 18K white gold hour markers feature a distinctive ribbed texture that echoes the linear geometry of the baguette sapphires, while the bi-faceted sword-shaped hands are crafted from the same precious metal. The railway minute track adds a classic touch, and naturally, there's an 18K white gold Maltese Cross applique because it's Vacheron Constantin and the cross is practically mandatory.
The four "human" zodiac signs—Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Aquarius—get additional opaline details, because regular hand-guilloché wasn't challenging enough.
The Métiers d'Art Tribute to The Celestial collection showcases Vacheron Constantin at their most artistically ambitious. These aren't just watches—they're wearable astronomy lessons crafted by some of the most skilled hands in Swiss watchmaking. Whether you're a believer in astrology or just appreciate jaw-dropping craftsmanship, these pieces represent the absolute pinnacle of decorative watchmaking.
For the collectors who can afford one of these 12 references, you're not just buying a watch—you're investing in a piece of horological art that connects ancient mythology with modern manufacturing mastery.
The complete constellation: Aries (6007A/000G-H042), Taurus (H043), Gemini (H044), Cancer (H045), Leo (H046), Virgo (H047), Libra (H048), Scorpio (H049), Sagittarius (H050), Capricorn (H051), Aquarius (H052), and Pisces (H053)—each one a testament to what happens when Swiss precision meets cosmic inspiration.
Sticker Price Upon Request. For more info on Vacheron Constantin click here.
