The world of high horology is defined by a handful of pieces which transcend the established boundaries of watchmaking. With the unveiling of Les Cabinotiers Cosmica Duo – Grand Complication, Vacheron Constantin marks its 270th anniversary with a creation which is at once poetic, rigorous and unapologetically challenging. This singular timepiece draws inspiration from the spirit of astronomical discovery and the odysseys of the past, offering a fresh interpretation of a grand complication underpinned by technical mastery and artistic finesse.
On first inspection, Cosmica Duo reveals its intent boldly: this is a watch for those drawn to both observation and exploration, reflected in the double-sided, reversible case and the ambitious orchestration of twenty-four complications. The blue dial is a vision, executed with a combination of blue opaline and mother-of-pearl inserts which speak to a deeply considered aesthetic. The sidereal chart, rendered on an ultramarine disc of remarkable thinness, floats under a sapphire crystal elegantly engraved by metallisation. The horizon is personalised to the wearer’s geography, reinforcing not only the connection between time and place but also the watchmaker’s attention to individual experience.
The counters for the perpetual calendar are symmetrically arranged and treated with circular satin finish and azuré centres, and the hour markers, crafted in white gold and lacquered, echo Vacheron Constantin’s ongoing pursuit of refined details. There’s a proud intellectual rigour in the layout: the hour and minute subdial is off-centre, adjacent to a complex celestial map which rotates, mirroring the constellatory ballet of a sidereal day, a feat of astronomical watchmaking that requires an extraordinary level of craftsmanship and mathematical precision. The counter at five o’clock tracks months and leap years within an eight-year cycle, while its twin on the opposite side coordinates days and dates. The orange open-worked hand for the second time zone provides strong legibility, and the city window at six o’clock affirms the cosmopolitan nature of the wearer’s ambitions.
Flipping the watch reveals a distinct mechanical landscape. The open-face dial lays bare the beating heart of the movement, the Calibre 2756-B1, whose components are finished in champagne hues through galvanic treatment, with contrasting sandblasted and circular grained surfaces, brilliantly illuminated by the interplay of light on the hand-bevelled bridges, the decorated wheels, and the mirror-polished gears. The moon phase display is retrograde and features an arc of five domed gold moons mounted on sapphire crystal, evoking the lunar passage with a remarkable three-dimensional depth. True solar time, read from the central hands adorned with a sun symbol, is set against mean civil time and displayed alongside sunrise, sunset, and the length of day and night, uniting technical achievement with poetic intent.
The beating heart of Cosmica Duo, Calibre 2756-B1, was four years in development, integrating two nearly redeveloped plates to accommodate its astronomical repertoire. Manual winding controls a movement comprised of 1,003 components and 112 jewels, which operates at 18,000 vibrations per hour. The minute repeater and tourbillon at its centre are not simply mechanical devices but are the product of a musical and rhythmic philosophy. The striking regulator, inherited from the heritage of the 2005 Tour de l’Île, governs the chimes for hours, quarters and minutes, delivering a sequence of perfectly rhythmical and harmonious tones. Observing the striking system through the open-work reveals the meticulously shaped weights that moderate the energy delivery, a technical innovation uniquely optimised for silence and melody. The tourbillon cage, expressive in the form of the brand’s emblematic Maltese cross, counters gravitational influences on the escapement, enhancing accuracy and adding visual clarity to the complexity within.
Turning to the case, the innovation is more than structural. At 47mm across and 20.2mm in thickness, this reversible case houses a movement of formidable intricacy whilst maintaining both ergonomic comfort and visual coherence. Crafted in white gold, the articulated lugs and removable strap attachments allow the wearer to switch orientation instantly, supported by an alligator leather strap which maintains contact with the wrist, preserving both stability and comfort. Such a design asks difficult questions of ergonomics, answered with short, rounded lugs and a clever mechanism for securing the strap on either side, without the intervention of tools. Functional elements are seamlessly integrated: a push-button within the crown enables easy adjustment of the second time zone, while a selector on the case side locks the sky chart during setting. Even the minute repeater lever resides at the centre, maintaining symmetry, whatever the preferred viewing side.
As the Cosmica Duo – Grand Complication celebrates Vacheron Constantin’s heritage, it echoes François Constantin’s words: “do better if possible, and that is always possible.” This piece is not only a technical accomplishment but also a timely homage to the tradition of discovery, imagination and the relentless pursuit of excellence. It stands as a unique creation (“pièce unique”), with the Hallmark of Geneva bridging technical and aesthetic mastery. The Cosmica Duo is for those who see time as an infinite field, one to be navigated with curiosity, intellect, and refined taste. In every surface and complication, it captures the spirit of an unending quest, embodying the Maison’s legacy of artistry, precision, and innovation across its 270-year history.
QUESTIONS FOR CHRISTIAN SELMONIY, DIRECTOR OF HERITAGE & STYLE
What approach has Vacheron Constantin taken to astronomy?
The sciences of astronomy and astrophysics – which over the centuries have enabled us to probe the mysteries of the universe, discover distant galaxies, explain the birth of stars and even test the existence of black holes – have always excited the imagination of watchmakers. This translates into expertise in astronomical complications at Vacheron Constantin and demonstrates, if proof were needed, that we can always “do better if possible, which is always possible,” according to the Maison’s motto. This knowledge, already proven at the time of Vacheron Constantin’s founding during the Age of Enlightenment – a period highly conducive to the scientific spirit – has been passed down through the generations. Barely 30 years after the Maison was founded, the first astronomical indications appeared on a Vacheron Constantin watch: a pocket watch with a complete calendar on a floral-patterned dial, created in 1785 under the leadership of Abraham Vacheron, son of the founder. Since then, there have been countless models equipped with such functions, including the highly complicated pieces made in the first half of the 20th century for the kings Fouad and Farouk of Egypt. More recently, following the technical developments achieved with the pieces celebrating the Maison’s 250th anniversary in 2005, Vacheron Constantin’s watchmakers have distinguished themselves in this field with the Reference 57260 in 2015, the Berkley in 2024 and the Solaria in 2025. Each of these three pieces incorporates rare, and even completely new, calendar and astronomical functions among their multiple complications.
A double-sided watch that is also reversible?
One of the most notable features of this timepiece is its reversible design. This is by no means the first time that Vacheron Constantin has presented a double-sided wristwatch. Given the Maison’s expertise in grand complication models, it is essential to be able to use both sides of the watch to orchestrate all of its functions in a legible and harmonious manner. However, the reverse side of such pieces, which often expresses the poetry of time in the form of a moving sky chart, usually remains hidden because you have to take off your watch to enjoy the spectacle. With the Cosmica Duo watch, the designers took a different approach by creating a reversible case with articulated lugs and removable straps. This also provided an opportunity to devise a new layout for the functions and a very different design for each dial.
