When a watchmaker turns 270, the anniversary calls for more than a commemorative plaque or a special dial engraving. Vacheron Constantin has chosen to mark the milestone with a creation that fuses technical breakthroughs, astronomical poetry, and traditional craftsmanship. The Métiers d’Art – Tribute to the Quest of Time is a double-sided wristwatch developed over three years, produced in just 20 pieces, and powered by an entirely new Manufacture calibre.
Inside is the manually wound Calibre 3670, a high-frequency movement beating at 5 Hz and composed of 512 components. It has three barrels that secure a six-day power reserve, while also being the subject of four patent applications. Among these are a double power reserve display, a governor system that ensures the hour and minute retrograde hands reset in perfect unison, a spherical moon phase with lunar age indication, and a correction mechanism allowing the moon to be adjusted at any time without risk to the movement.
On the dial, a golden human figure raises its arms to indicate the hours and minutes across two arcs. Inspired by the brand’s 1930 ‘Bras en l’Air’ pocket watch, the mechanism has been reinterpreted with a choice between two modes: a continuous display or an on-demand activation through a pusher at 10 o’clock. This duality draws on Vacheron Constantin’s 2019 Twin Beat Perpetual Calendar, which introduced the idea of active and standby functions.
Adding to its mechanical innovations, the watch embraces an astronomical dimension. Vacheron Constantin worked with astronomers from the Geneva Observatory to recreate the night sky above Geneva on September 17, 1755, the date of the brand’s founding. This sky vault forms the backdrop of the front dial, which also houses a 3D precision moon made from titanium and finished with two contrasting PVD treatments. On the reverse side, a sidereal time display tracks the constellations in real time, remaining accurate to within one day over 9,130 years.
“The Métiers d’Art collection, as its name suggests, is a canvas for the Maison’s savoir-faire in the age-old artistic crafts, standing as an exploration through time and civilisations. There was a strong desire to introduce an innovative complication into the collection. In terms of creativity, this watch is a singular blend of technical achievement (with four patent applications as evidence) and artistic expression,” said Sandrine Donguy, Product & Innovation Director.
Every aspect of the design reflects this balance. The human figure is titanium with a golden PVD treatment and hand-applied patina. The arcs marking hours and minutes are 18K white gold with an opaline finish, while the indexes are 18K yellow gold. Sapphire crystals form the layered dial, with metallisation techniques used for the blue gradient and the historical sky chart. The back features laser-engraved constellations on sapphire, with indications applied through metallisation and transfer printing in gold powder.
“While it is directly inspired by and pays homage to the automaton incorporated into the La Quête du Temps clock – in both its humanoid form and the use of its arms to indicate the time – the figure on the watch is not an automaton. Its arms are an aesthetic substitute for traditional hands and Calibre 3670 enables the time to be displayed in two ways – on demand and continuously running,” Ms. Donguy said.
The Métiers d’Art – Tribute to the Quest of Time carries the Poinçon de Genève certification and is housed in a 43 mm white gold case measuring 13.58 mm in thickness. It connects two of Vacheron Constantin’s most recognisable signatures, astronomical displays and retrograde indications, while introducing new mechanical solutions that broaden their potential. By combining 270 years of watchmaking heritage with technical invention, the limited series underscores how far the maison is willing to push its long-standing fascination with time.
