Vacheron Constantin introduces La Quête du Temps

Vacheron Constantin marks its 270th anniversary with a tribute to the Maison’s legacy: La Quête du Temps. An astronomical clock that combines a timekeeping instrument, the traditions of Haute Horlogerie, artistic craftsmanship and the kinetics of an automaton, this masterpiece is an unprecedented expression of human ingenuity, passion and creativity.  

It has also inspired the new Métiers d’Art Tribute to The Quest of Time wristwatch, a double-sided timepiece pushing the boundaries of technicity and artistry: four patent applications and a new manual manufacture movement, Calibre 3670, feature astronomical complications, double retrograde displays and two display modes. 

“Is it always possible to do better? Is it always possible to be amazed? Undeniably,” says Laurent Perves, CEO of Vacheron Constantin. “At Vacheron Constantin, the pride and emotion we feel with each new project comes from the freedom and passion to create, which is fuelled by the quest for excellence and innovation. The result of seven years of work, this unparalleled collaborative project has given life to a marvellous object, a mécanique d’art that brings together mankind and the universe, in an unprecedented cultural and artistic statement. It also inspired, as is always the case at Vacheron Constantin, a Métiers d’Art wristwatch like no other.”  

A QUEST BEYOND WATCHMAKING  

The automaton takes the form of a humanistic Astronomer, whose choreography not only indicates the time but also invites viewers to contemplate the beauty and mysteries of the cosmos and the astronomical phenomena that lie at the foundation of mankind’s ability to measure time. 

Since the dawn of the ages, mankind has been fascinated by the sky, observing the Moon, the Sun, the stars and their movements across the celestial vault. Through these observations, daily life was governed by the rhythm of sunrise and sunset, the Moon’s phases and the seasons, which thus came to define time. Eventually, horology made it possible to transpose these cycles into clocks, marking time through mechanical ingenuity. The observation of the cosmos and a deep curiosity about astronomical phenomena have been central to Vacheron Constantin‘s approach to watchmaking since it was founded in 1755. Thus, the ‘Astronomer’ automaton serves as a metaphor for the spirit of the Maison, its choreography an analogy for the flow of time. 

In both form and content, La Quête du Temps links back to the history of merveilles (marvels) and follies – creations that, beyond their practical purpose, were intended to captivate, intrigue and inspire a sense of awe. During the 18th century, interest in science – known as ‘natural philosophy’ – grew rapidly, and demonstrations of the new technical marvels became a form of public entertainment. Merveilles were the most complex of these devices, encapsulating technical and scientific advances while expressing the pinnacle of artistry and beauty, and the craze for collecting them reached its apotheosis in Europe during Age of Enlightenment – the period that also gave birth to Vacheron Constantin. 

A collaborative approach 

The creation of La Quête du Temps united masters of many different disciplines in a mission to go beyond all that each had individually achieved in their own field. Vacheron Constantin has always been open to new ideas and a collaborative method of working, echoing the tradition of établissage, a common practice in watchmaking in the past where specialised workers each contributed in their own field to a shared project; in the 18th and 19th centuries, specialist workshops in Geneva were collectively known as La Fabrique. 

For La Quête du Temps several teams within the Maison pooled their savoir-faire to design both the technical and aesthetic aspects of the timepiece and develop its horological complications; the Manufacture has conceived the automaton with François Junod, recognised as the world’s greatest automatier, and has produced the clock mechanism and its casing in collaboration with L’Épée 1839; astronomers from the Geneva Observatory have enriched and affirmed the celestial narrative; and master artisans devoted their skills to the artistic decoration of the masterpiece.  

A source of inspiration for a new Métiers d’Art wristwatch 

Also in celebration of the Maison’s 270th anniversary, Vacheron Constantin introduces, a wristwatch inspired by La Quête du Temps clock, standing as a symbol of the human adventure that has defined the Maison since 1755. 

The new wristwatch Métiers d’Art Tribute to the Quest of Time, inspired by the eponymous clock, was three years in development 

This double-sided piece, in a limited edition of 20 pieces, benefits from a new manually wound Manufacture movement, Calibre 3670, a feat of miniaturization including 512 components, and 4 patents applications.  

It features a human figure whose arms indicate the time in a double-retrograde display. The figure is set against a backdrop representing the constellations as seen from Geneva on the day of the Maison’s founding in 1755. Itis complemented by a double retrograde power reserve indicator and a 3D precision moon phase with age of the moon. The reverse dial features a sky chart that tracks the constellations in real time and displays the sidereal day.   

The Maison‘s commitment to the preservation and evolution of handcrafts is complemented by its exploration of modern decorative techniques, blending craft tradition and innovation. 

THE ART OF ANIMATED TIME  

Since the earliest examples recorded in the ancient Chinese and Persian empires, automata had been either standalone devices or mechanisms that simply added a charming animation to a clock. By rethinking both automata and clock-making, the Maison would bring the two different worlds together, so that the automaton would become a true watchmaking complication, indicating the hours and minutes. A mechanical memory would transcribe the hours and minutes from the clock to the automaton, whose choreography would be elevated by a mechanical music device that would play three specially composed melodies.  

Honouring the Maison’s heritage 

To express its distinctive style, Vacheron Constantin revisited its patrimony, taking inspiration from precedents such as L’Esprit des Cabinotiers, a secret clock co-created with François Junod to mark the Maison’s 250th anniversary in 2005; the Arca clocks (2015), which were in turn inspired by Art Deco table clocks created in 1933; and the Métiers d’Art Copernicus Celestial Spheres series of watches (2017). It also looked to some highly elaborate clocks commissioned by Europe’s royal courts in the 17th to 19th centuries. 

Further inspiration came from Vacheron Constantin‘s long history of retrograde displays – a mechanical signature of the Maison. The moon-phase display is retrograde and the date, the power reserve indicators on both the front and back dials, and the hours and minutes on the dial and beneath the dome are all retrograde functions. The mechanical principle of the bras-en-l’air pocket watches created at the end of the 1920s have been translated into the automaton’s gestures that indicate the time. 

Vacheron Constantin also harnessed its expertise in astronomical complications and celestial displays to design a calibre that incorporates a perpetual calendar, indications of sunrise and sunset and, via a rotating celestial vault, tracks sidereal time. In addition, a tourbillon enhances timekeeping precision – its function in compensating for the impact of gravity on the regulating mechanism all the more valuable in a clock, which remains static in a vertical position. 

A three-part architecture  

Monumental in both scale and presence, La Quête du Temps stands more than a metre high, its structure defined by three integrated sections: the dome, the astronomical clock and the base.  

1- The dome  

At the top, as if standing at the centre of the universe, the automaton-Astronomer is positioned beneath a glass dome decorated with a celestial vault and a golden sun. A three-dimensional retrograde moon is set on a flat, semi-circular plane in front; and day and night are depicted at the automaton’s feet. On either side of the automaton, appearing to float in space, curving hour and minute scales are marked with the hours in Roman numerals and five-minute intervals in Arabic numerals; on both scales, the numerals are arranged in random order rather than sequentially.  

The glass dome is painted with a representation of the celestial vault in the Northern Hemisphere, and depicts Leo, Taurus, Gemini, Virgo and Libra – the constellations that lie along the plane of the ecliptic (the apparent path of the Sun across the sky as seen from Earth). In addition, Vacheron Constantin has included Orion, Ursa Major (Big Bear) and Ursa Minor (Little Bear) – a poetic reminder of childhood dreams because these are the patterns of stars that children learn to recognise first. 

The constellations are positioned as they would have appeared in the sky above Geneva on the day that Vacheron Constantin was founded: 17 September 1755. To determine the precise position of each constellation and star at 10.00 am, the time that Jean-Marc Vacheron signed the contract to employ his first apprentice, Vacheron Constantin worked with astronomers from the Geneva Observatory in Versoix, Switzerland. Recognised as one of Europe’s most important observatories, the institution is especially noted for its work in discovering exoplanets and modelling stellar evolution. The astronomers also discovered that, at that exact time on 17 September 1755, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn were visible above Geneva, along with a rare conjunction between the Sun and Jupiter.  

2- The astronomical clock 

The central section of La Quête du Temps is dominated by the astronomical clock, with its signature complications and two dials.  

Front dial: 

Comprising four layers of mirrored rock crystal, the front dial is designed as a series of arcs, curves and circles-within-circles – symmetrical in layout and intuitive to read. The upper half is dominated by the tourbillon at 12 o’clock. With an exceptionally large diameter and topped by a magnifying glass to enable viewers to see deep into its heart, it features Vacheron Constantin‘s signature Maltese Cross-shaped cage. A circle of baguette-cut diamonds surrounds the tourbillon aperture, highlighting the mechanical ballet within. The retrograde display of the 15-day power reserve is divided between two curving brackets on the outer edges of the dial, which are set with lapis lazuli and moonstones graduated from blue to white. In a small aperture to the right of the tourbillon is the leap year indicator of the perpetual calendar. The calendar days and months are displayed in apertures at 10 o’clock and 2 o’clock respectively. 

The position of the tourbillon is balanced in the lower half of the dial by a circular 24-hour display that is also highlighted by a bezel of baguette-cut diamonds. A sun and moon appliqué, hand-engraved in haut relief is set on a disc that is hand-guilloché with a pattern of sunrays. This is ringed by the 24-hour time scale, with the transition from day to night expressed in lacquer graduated from blue to white. The hour numerals are transferred onto the underside of a sapphire crystal disc and the current hour is highlighted through a small circular aperture.  

The 24-hour display is bracketed on the left and right by curving scales composed of bevelled rock crystal with applied hour numerals, which indicate sunrise and sunset times by retrograde hand. Forming a semi-circle beneath the subdial, the retrograde date display is composed of rock crystal inlay with gold numerals. To indicate the date, a small sun-shaped pointer – sculpted from gold and hand-engraved – passes along the semi-circular scale before jumping back to begin the following month. 

The outer edge of the dial is defined by two broad semi-circles inlaid with rock crystal, one indicating the retrograde hours and the other indicating retrograde minutes, shown – as on the scales housed beneath the dome – in Roman numerals and Arabic numerals respectively. 

Back dial: 

The reverse-side dial depicts a Northern Hemisphere celestial vault that tracks the movement of the constellations in real time, thus also measuring the sidereal day. Because it takes Earth less time to rotate once relative to the stars than to rotate once relative to the Sun, the sidereal day is approximately four minutes shorter than the 24-hour calendar day that defines civic time. Taking a fixed star in the sky as a reference point, the time it takes the Earth to complete a full 360° or sidereal day is exactly 23 hours, 56 minutes and 4 seconds. 

An additional retrograde power reserve display, indicated by a blue hand, is set in the upper part of the dial. In a series of concentric circles surrounding the dial, the months are displayed by number, the seasons and equinoxes are displayed on a second ring and the astrological zodiac signs are displayed on the outermost ring. 

3- The base 

Beneath the clock, a two-level plinth depicts the solar system against a background of lapis lazuli. The planets are represented by cabochons of ornamental hard stones and their names are formed by mother of pearl inlays. Below that, the octagonal base of the structure houses the mechanism that drives the automaton’s movement and creates the music that plays during the animation. Clad in rock crystal, lapis lazuli and quartzite, it is decorated with a geometric motif starting with the sun at the front and ending with a moon at the back.  

The choreography of the automaton 

The automaton is choreographed to perform three different sequences, lasting for a minute-and-a-half in total. It can be activated on demand or programmed to run at any time up to 24 hours in advance. The melodies that accompany it were specially composed by Woodkid, the musician and artistic director with whom Vacheron Constantin has collaborated for several years,. 

The first sequence begins with a sound announcing that the automaton is about to start; the sound is produced by a mechanical ‘music machine’ composed of a metallophone and Wah-Wah tubes, invented by François Junod and integrated into the mechanism for the automaton. This melodic ‘alarm’ wakes the automaton, which first looks at its surroundings before making a sweeping gesture towards the day and night symbols set at its feet. It then moves its hands forwards to present the moon and indicate the route it takes across the arc in front of it. The sequence ends as the automaton returns to its original position. 

Another sound announces the second sequence. The automaton points up towards the stars on the sky chart and its gaze follows the gestures. During these gestures, music plays – again, produced by the integrated ‘music machine’. As the music ends, the automaton returns to the neutral position.  

The first two sequences are always the same each time the automaton is activated but in the third sequence, where the automaton indicates the time on the scales suspended within the dome, the gestures change as the time changes. There is a surprising element to this choreography – the execution of which posed a technical challenge for the watchmakers: while the scales begin and end with 1 and 12 hours, and 0 and 55 minutes, the hours and minutes in between are marked in random order on the scales. This ensures that each successive gesture is markedly different even if only a short time has elapsed between one activation and the next; with the hours and minutes marked in chronological order, such movements would look very similar. 

Because the automaton’s time indications are driven by the clock’s timekeeping mechanism, and the time is also displayed on the clock face, the observer can immediately verify that the times match and can clearly see how time has progressed since the previous activation of the automaton. 

TECHNICAL INNOVATIONS AND DEVELOPMENTS 

La Quête du Temps features a mechanism comprising 6,293 components, including a clock with 23 complications, which also directs the automaton driven by 158 cams. It is the subject of 15 patent applications, including seven watchmaking patents 

Watchmaking innovations 

Watchmaking patent applications filed: 

While the automaton is at the centre of the kinematics, La Quête du Temps incorporates a second automaton with a clockwork mechanism – the 3D retrograde moon, a 110-year precision moon-phase indicator, which runs on a 29.5-day cycle. Constructed in two layers, with its own mechanism and its own barrel hidden inside the hollow sphere, it is linked to both the Astronomer automaton and the clock, and is thus an entirely new watchmaking complication, as well as an automaton in its own right. It is the subject of one of the seven watchmaking patents applied for. Among the other watchmaking patents are a system that enables the clock mechanism to be driven by two escapements operating in different ways, and a novel mechanism that drives the power reserve display on the front dial, enabling the two separate sectors to operate consecutively, with each showing half of the 15-day total reserve. 

A further innovation relates to the 24-hour display on the front dial and the sun-shaped indicator for the months-seasons-zodiac displays. For reasons of both aesthetics and readability, both indications must always remain in the same position from the observer’s viewpoint. To achieve this, the sun/moon face on the 24-hour subdial is set on a ball-bearing system with extra weight on its lower part so that it always remains ‘vertical’. On the reverse dial, a similar mounting system has been used for the sun-shaped indicator: while it completes a full circle of the entire dial in one year, its engraved face always remains upright vis-à-vis the observer. 

Automaton innovations  

Automaton patent applications filed: 

The goal for the automaton was that its movements should be as natural as possible and appear almost ‘human’ – smooth and flowing, operating on multiple planes and with the head following the movement of the hands. Moreover, its operation had to be completely silent. The challenge was amplified by the high number of gestures to be made: given that the animation would indicate 12 hours, plus 12 five-minute intervals to make one hour, a total of 144 different movements would be required. To achieve this, a mechanism comprising 158 cams was developed, linked to the clock via a mechanical time memory. A mechanism to play melodies that accompany the automaton’s choreography was also created. 

CHALLENGES FOR DESIGN AND FINISHING 

Lightness and transparency   

Given the proportions and complexity of La Quête du Temps, and the fact that a large volume was required to house the 3,923 components of the automaton’s mechanism, it was imperative that the design should appear airy and light. This led to the choice of rock crystal as the signature material. Cladding the base in the transparent material honours the automaton’s mechanism, revealing the different elements vibrate and come to life when it is activated. The lightness and transparency of the entire object nevertheless required a visual anchor between the upper parts and the base. The design solution is a two-level plinth inlaid with lapis lazuli and depicting the solar system.  

The art of component finishing 

The precise and meticulous craft of component finishing is central to watchmaking at Vacheron Constantin and La Quête du Temps presented a singular challenge in this respect. The large scale of each component meant that the slightest imperfection would become visible to the naked eye – for example, the hand-bevelling and chamfering of the bridges and jewel sinks was particularly critical, as was the hand-polishing of the tourbillon cage and bridges. The challenge was amplified by the sheer number of components: a total of 6,293, including 2,370 for the clock mechanism alone, all carefully finished to the highest standards of Haute Horlogerie. 

The celestial dome  

The glass dome was born from the idea of creating an Astronomer automaton standing beneath the stars. However, this raised a technical design challenge: at 40 cm in diameter, the dome needed a very strong support that would not impinge on the aesthetics. The solution was to construct arch-shaped supports that recall the style of armillary spheres, creating a natural link to the language of 18th-century astronomy. 

The design idea of indicating time on suspended scales within the dome created its own challenge: the imperative of very light weight as well as strength and precision. After a great deal of research, the solution was provided by the sintering of titanium alloy powder, which enabled the creation of the very fine yet strong grids. The numbers for the hours and minutes are gilded with gold leaf.  

DECORATIVE CRAFTS  

La Quête du Temps brings together multiple métiers d’art: 

• Gem-setting 
• Marquetry of hard stones and mother-of-pearl 
• Rock crystal inlay  
• Grand feu enamel 
• Guillochage 
• Engraving: high-relief and taille douce etching 
• Cast bronze sculpture 
• Miniature painting on glass 

The gem-setting includes bezels of baguette-cut diamonds around the tourbillon and the 24-hour indicator – a total of 100 diamonds weighing approx. 11.6 carats. In addition, 132 brilliant-cut diamonds are grain-set on the automaton’s body, representing the principal stars of the constellations painted on the dome.  

The clock sits on a plinth inlaid with plaques of old-mine lapis lazuli, for which the craft of hard-stone marquetry was harnessed to depict the solar system. Each of the planets that revolve around the Sun is represented by a cabochon of a decorative stone, chosen for aesthetics. Thus, Earth is azurite, which looks like our ‘blue planet’; Mars is red jasper; Jupiter is crazy lace agate, which is reminiscent of that planet’s cloudy atmosphere; and Mercury is silver obsidian, recalling the colour of that planet. Fine inlays of white mother-of-pearl spell out the name of each planet and bi-coloured mother-of-pearl inlays create a sprinkling of stars.  

The reverse dial of the clock is framed by a circle of baguette-cut moonstone marquetry. Inside that circle, 12 sections of bevelled rock crystal marquetry form the background to the gold zodiac appliqués. The rock crystal panels that envelop the octagonal lower section of the object are decorated with emerald-cut rock crystal rails in a design that represents the Sun and Moon, day and night. The translucent rock crystal allows the light to penetrate the base and reveal the beauty and sophistication of the automaton mechanism contained inside. 

At the centre of the dial a sky chart made of mineral glass and engraved with stars and constellations inked with gold colour, makes a full rotation in one sidereal day (23 hours, 56 minutes and 4 seconds). Below the transparent section of the chart, a fixed metal ellipse, tinted dark blue, highlights the part of the sky that is visible from the observer’s viewing point. Surrounding the celestial map, two rings of white Grand Feu enamel indicate months, seasons, solstices and equinoxes with inscriptions transfer-printed in black, gold and red.  

On the body of the automaton, the constellations are engraved using the taille douce etching technique, reflecting what the astronomer is seeing. On the 24-hour indicator, the sun and moon motifs are hand-engraved in high relief. The craft of hand-guillochage was used to create the rays that emanate from the central motif.  On the reverse dial, the gold zodiac appliques are also engraved in high relief, as is the gold sun-shaped indicator that points out the months, seasons, solstices and equinoxes. 

The figure of the Astronomer was sculpted in the traditional way. Beginning with a hand-sculpted clay mould, it was cast in bronze in eight sections to allow the complex articulation required to achieve the desired animation. Standing about 28 cm high, the figure has an androgynous allure, with an elegant body position suggesting that of a dancer. After casting, the figure was assembled and finished according to the principles of jewellery-making – the body hand-engraved with the constellations using the taille douce technique, grain set with diamonds marking the principal stars and finally gilded using 3N yellow gold. 

On the glass globe, the massive celestial vault is entirely miniature-painted by hand, the artist working completely freehand, with no pre-traced design and no machining. Adding to the challenge, because the painting is on the inside of the glass, he had to paint the constellations back-to-front and upside-down. Given the complexity of the work, with absolutely no tolerance for error, it took a full six months of research and trials before the painting could begin. The painting itself required three weeks of work. 

UNDERLINING A DEEP CULTURAL COMMITMENT 

Representing a milestone in Vacheron Constantin’s partnership with the Louvre, La Quête du Temps is unveiled as the centrepiece of the “Mécaniques d’Art” exhibition at the museum in Paris from 17 September to 12 November 2025.   

“Echoing the automaton imagined by Vacheron Constantin, the exhibited works from the Louvre collection evoke the extent to which they all represent an ancient, even immemorial, passion for complex mechanisms and more or less scientific machines”, says Olivier Gabet, Director of the Department of Objets d’Art at the Musée du Louvre. “While La Quête du Temps evokes the great Cordovan automatons, or Egyptian water clocks, many of its constituent elements bring to mind the armillary clocks or polyhedral dials of the 17th century. Artistic crafts are part of a genealogy that spans the most diverse eras and civilisations”. 

 La Quête du Temps will be exhibited along with 10 notable works from the Louvre’s collection:  

• The Pendule La Création du Monde, an astronomical clock presented to Louis XV in 1754, which was restored with the support of Vacheron Constantin in 2016  
• An automaton in the form of a peacock, made in copper alloy and dating from 962 or 972   
• A carriage clock engraved with the arms of Cardinal Richelieu, made in France by François de Hecq, circa 1640  
• A table clock in bronze and patinated brass with an armillary sphere supported by the figure of Atlas, made in France or Italy circa 1800 
• A table clock in the form of a skull, in silver and gilded brass, made in Geneva by Jean Rousseau circa 1640–1660 
• A spherical clock in iron and brass from 1551 – the oldest clock to be dated and signed in France – created by Jacques de La Garde in Blois, in the Loire Valley 
• A table clock in the form of a square tower, in silver, bronze and brass, made in Germany circa 1585–1600 
• A table clock in brass, silver and steel featuring a triangular base topped with an armillary sphere, created circa 1600–1615 by Pierre Noytolon in Lyon, France 
• A table clock in the form of a polyhedron, in copper alloy, silver alloy, blued steel and glass, created in 1662 by Pierre Sevin 
• Two fragments of water clocks, one in basalt dating from the period of Alexander the Great (332-323 BC), and one in grandiorite, dating from the Ptolemaic period (305-30 BC), both discovered in Tell el-Yahoudiyeh, Egypt 

QUESTIONS FOR CHRISTIAN SELMONI, VACHERON CONSTANTIN DIRECTOR OF STYLE & HERITAGE 

How did you come to this idea of challenging yourselves to create an automaton that tells the time? 
Vacheron Constantin’s watchmakers, designers, artisans and conceptors are used to work from the principle of surpassing themselves in terms of Haute Horlogerie while remaining in the spirit of the Maison. The idea of integrating an automaton into a clock came up: from the earliest automatons recorded during Ancient Greek and Persian empires until now, there is no evidence of any being integrated into a clock as part of the timekeeping function; rather, all were standalone devices or supplementary animations. The Maison’s teams looked at how they could revisit the two worlds – of automata and of clock-making – and dreamed of an automaton that would indicate the hours and minutes. 
This is very much in the territory of Vacheron Constantin, as the Maison was established in the 18th century – a period of great scientific and artistic advances. That period – the Age of Enlightenment – witnessed a tremendous surge of interest in science-driven devices of unprecedented mechanical sophistication that were also beautifully executed. The automaton for this project could have taken one of many forms and the decision to make it a human figure was a philosophical choice that we felt was truly in keeping with the spirit of the Maison. 

To create an object of such technical and artistic complexity and quality, how did you transcend the known limits? What was the magic ingredient that enabled you to go so far – and maintain the momentum for the seven years that the project took? 
The magic ingredient was the human adventure and the key to the entire project was bringing together different people who are equally passionate and equally talented – people willing to dream together, to challenge each other and to support each other’s ideas. At every stage, they wanted to go further, and it was a continuous process of creativity, of constantly asking questions, pushing a little more. But, while it was a very rigorous and demanding process, they never lost the element of fantasy and play. Those were the rules of engagement, so to speak, and they had some very interesting interactions and great moments. It has been a shared human adventure on a grand scale. 

What were the main technical challenges in realising such an ambitious project? 
The biggest technical challenge was, of course, with the mechanisms that drive the automaton and those that integrate it with the clock. To drive 144 different gestures by the automaton required a mechanism based on a carousel with 158 cams. And since it is a timekeeping complication, it required a ‘mechanical memory’ to transmit information between the clock and automaton. Also, because of the decision to create not just one but different melodies to accompany the animation, we had to invent two special kinds of mechanical ‘music box’ to produce the sound. François Junod says that, in a lifetime of creating automata, this is by far the most difficult project he has ever undertaken. As for the clock mechanism itself, the sheer scale of it exceeded everything that could done within the Maison. As just one example, the tourbillon is more than twice as big as what would ever be made for a wristwatch – the diameter of the balance wheel, excluding the adjustment screws, is 16.8 mm, the Maltese Cross is 28 mm and the fixing bar is 43.3 mm long – yet even at such a massive scale there was absolutely no margin for error. 

Can you tell us about some challenges relating to the complex decoration of the habillage? 
In terms of aesthetics, the first challenge after creating the design was to decide how to dress it up. It took a great deal of time to choose and source the materials, even before starting the meticulous work of crafting them. Take the rock crystal, for example: to clothe the base that houses the automaton mechanism, very large pieces of the highest quality were needed. It took two years to find the right source – and once the team had all those kilos of material, the challenge was to cut it, machine it and hand-finish it, even before starting the task of installing it on the object. Another tremendous challenge was to hand-paint the celestial vault on the glass globe. It required to work freehand, with no template, using tiny brushes and, because the painting is on the inside of the glass, work in mirror-image.  

You mention philosophical significance. Beyond the influence of the Age of Enlightenment, how is this expressed concretely in this creation? 
The philosophical dimension is the individual interpretation that each person makes when looking at the clock. The designers wanted to incorporate details that symbolise a certain philosophy of beauty. For example, the number ‘eight’, which is both the number of planets in the solar system and a symbol of infinity is subtlety added. The base of La Quête du Temps, which houses the automaton mechanism, and the rock crystal columns supporting the upper part are octagonal. The automaton rests on an eight-pointed star. 

Vacheron Constantin La Quête du Temps Technical Specifications

LIST OF PATENTS APPLIED FOR 

HABILLAGE, MATERIALS, DECORATION 

BASE 

• Octagonal in shape  

Plinths  

• Two octagonal structures in stainless steel, matt anthracite base  

Lower plinth  

• Marquetry of rock crystal with inclusions  

Upper plinth  

• Marquetry of old-mine lapis lazuli   

Cabinet for the automaton mechanism   

• Stainless steel frame, marquetry of rock crystal 
• Panels of cloudy rock crystal  
• Sunburst motif on two sides 
• Decorative elements in stainless steel   
• Decorative elements set with rock crystal, quartzite and lapis lazuli   
• Flat top set with eight bevelled mirror panels 

Octagonal connecting plinth    

• Sides in marquetry of rock crystal with inclusions,  
• Top in marquetry of lapis lazuli; cabochons of crazy lace agate, turquoise and striped chalcedony  
• Names of the planets in mother-of-pearl marquetry  
• Decorative 6-point stars in two colours of mother-of-pearl marquetry 

Connection between Base and Clock 

• Two stainless steel feet gilded with 18K 3N yellow gold  

MOVEMENT CABINET 

Octagonal plinth with automaton alarm    

• Sides in marquetry of rock crystal with inclusions 
• Top in marquetry of lapis lazuli; cabochons of silver obsidian, grey agate, azurite and red jasper  
• Names of the planets in mother-of-pearl marquetry  
• Decorative 6-point stars in two colours of mother-of-pearl marquetry 
• Revolving 24-hour display in midnight blue lacquer. Applied hour numerals in 18k 3N gold 

Cabinet for the clock   

• Four columns in stainless steel, octagonal in shape and set with rock crystal marquetry  
• Flat top comprising eight sections of rock crystal under the feet of the ‘Astronomer’ automaton. Marquetry of tiger’s eye for day and bull’s eye for night  
• Central disc of mineral glass, transparent for day and lacquered blue for night 

CLOCK DISPLAYS   

Front dial   

• Two curved sections for hours and minutes.  Rock crystal sectors. Gold applied hour numerals 
• Three apertures for perpetual calendar; two-sector power reserve display set with moonstones and lapis lazuli graduated from white to blue 

Sunrise and sunset displays in rock crystal; applied hour markers in black metal 

• 31-day retrograde date display, set with rock crystal, applied date numerals in 18K yellow gold 
• Tourbillon topped with magnifying glass and 24-hour Day-Night displays  
• Central sun-moon motif hand-engraved  
• Hand-guilloché surrounding sunray pattern 
• 24-hour ring in lacquer graduated from white to blue 
• Bezels for day/night indicator and tourbillon set with a total of 100 baguette-cut diamonds (total approx. 11.6 carats) 

 Hands and indicators   

• Retrograde hour and minute indicators and power reserve indicators in brass  
• 31-day date indicator in 18K yellow gold, sculpted in the form of a sun and hand-engraved  
• Sunrise and sunset hands in blued steel   

 Reverse-side dial  

• Peripheral ring set with baguette-cut moonstones; Zodiac ring of 12 sections, bevelled rock crystal; 12 applied gold zodiac signs, hand-engraved 
• Enamelled rings for seasons, solstices and equinoxes 
• Enamelled months ring  
• Celestial vault: engraved sky chart in mineral glass, inked in golden colour, blue-lacquered ellipse 
• Engraved and inked power reserve display   

 Hands and indicators   

• Hand-engraved Sun-shaped 18K yellow gold indicator for months, solstices and zodiac 
• Blued steel Serpentine hand for power reserve  

ASTRONOMER’S DOME  

Armillary circles   

• Stainless steel outer ring, circular satin-finishing, polished top and bottom chamfers  
• Outer circle engraved with astronomical zodiac signs  
• Two circles driving the moon in stainless steel and chamfered on the outer corners.  

Semi-circle   

• Supporting structure for the celestial vault dome, in stainless steel with finishes the same as the armillary circles  

Exterior circle   

• Inclination specific to the inclination of the galactic circle in relation to the ecliptic (67 degrees) in stainless steel with finishes the same as the armillary circles  

Dome 

• Mineral glass sphere formed in a single piece and cut 4 cm below its widest diameter  
• Celestial vault replicating that seen from Geneva on 17 September 1755, the date when Vacheron Constantin was founded 
• Constellations and meridians painted freehand on the inside of the dome  
• Constellations represented in astronomical style, with the names of the most important stars painted; seven signs of the astronomical zodiac visible that day – Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo and Libra –  the Grande and Petite Ourse (great Bear and Small Bear) and Orion constellations     

Retrograde moon display 

• Stainless-steel structure, satin-finishing  
• Applied gold moon phase indications 
• Three-dimensional moon constructed in two layers, with its own mechanism and its own barrel hidden inside the hollow sphere, with retrograde function 

Hour & Minute scales  

• Curved titanium scales, openworked 
• Applied gold leaf for time indications  
• Hours (Roman numerals) and minutes (Arabic numerals) in random order  

Sun 

• Hand-engraved sun appliqué   

 Automaton figure   

• Cast bronze, comprising eight parts and plated with yellow gold, articulated in 5 positions 
• Body hand-engraved with constellations 
• Body set with 122 brilliant cut-diamonds (total approx. 0.35 carats)