Vacheron Constantin begins the new year with the grand Les Cabinotiers Grande Complication Bacchus release, a part of the brand’s annual collection of one-of-a-kind timepieces. Pegged as one of the most complex watches ever developed by the Geneva-based luxury watch brand, the Bacchus (as we like to call it) combines Vacheron Constantin’s expertise in grand complication watches with its mastery of artistic crafts.

 

The inspiration behind the watch

 

As the name suggests, the Les Cabinotiers Grande Complication Bacchus takes inspiration from the Roman god Bacchus – the God of Vines and Wine – and this is seen in the pink gold case of the watch filled with vine leaf motifs and a cluster of grapes set with rubies. The watch also takes inspiration from Johannes Kepler, a 17th-century German astronomer, mathematician, astrologer, and natural philosopher. Its astronomical side is showcased via the tourbillon and minute repeater movement that displays virtually every astronomical and calendar-type complication a timepiece can muster. This association between the study of the stars and the divine world, between Bacchus and Johannes Kepler, makes this timepiece doubly remarkable.

 

 

 

 

 

 

About the Les Cabinotiers Grande Complication Bacchus

 

The elaborately decorated Les Cabinotiers Grande Complication Bacchus comes in a massive 47mm 18K pink gold case with ample space for a multitude of engraving and gen-setting processes. From the bezel to the case and back, each part of the case structure is engraved with a repeating grapevine motif and set with a total of 113 rubies.

 

According to the brand, two master artisans took turns working on the model and it took 300 hours of combined skill to create. Once set with the decoration placed on the case with a scribing tool, the engraver prepared the model using the bas-relief technique that creates cells or troughs by delicately “gouging” the material with a burin to make the foliage motif stand out. Once completed, the gem-setter took over and set the cabochon-cut rubies using a technique combining prong and bezel setting, involving a minimum of three points of attachment.

 

 

The Les Cabinotiers Grande Complication Bacchus is a double-sided wristwatch comprising 16 complications. The calendar and astronomical functions are segregated on both sides of the watch. On the front (recognised by the mechanical ballet of the tourbillon at 6 o’clock) sits the perpetual calendar indications via the three counters, minute repeater aperture between 1 and 2 o’clock, the power reserve indicator marked by a serpentine pointer coaxial with the day of the week hand, and the tourbillon at 6 o’clock.

 

 

 

The opaline champagne-coloured dial also houses some astronomical functions like the equation of time, sunrise time, and sunset time. The other side of the dial is home to various other astronomical parts like a sky chart, age and phases of the moon, sidereal time indication and seasons and zodiac signs. Powering the complex Bacchus timepiece is Vacheron Constantin’s manual-winding Calibre 2755 GC16 movement equipped with a tourbillon regulator for precision timekeeping. The movement comprises 839 parts and clocks in a power reserve of 58 hours.

 

The Vacheron Constantin Les Cabinotiers Grande Complication Bacchus comes in a dark brown Mississippi Alligator leather strap and is delivered in a Les Cabinotiers Prestige box, including a winder box corrector pen and a magnifying glass.

 

 

 

Price: On Request