Vacheron Constantin, custodian of more than two and a half centuries of tradition, marks its 270th anniversary with a creation that transcends the boundaries of mechanics and rises to the cultural realm. La Quête du Temps is presented as an astronomical automaton embedded within a monumental horological masterpiece, the result of seven years of research and the union of expertise between artisans, engineers, musicians, and astronomers. Far beyond a simple timepiece, it is a true mécanique d’art, where technical rigour, decorative mastery, and a captivating historical aura converge.
Beneath a hand-painted glass dome, recreating the sky over Geneva on 17 September 1755, the date of the maison’s foundation, stands the figure of an astronomer, endowed with movements of striking naturalism. With 144 distinct gestures, he not only tells the time but also invites the viewer to immerse themselves in the contemplation of celestial mysteries. The choreography is accompanied by original compositions from Woodkid, creating an experience in which emotion meets mechanical precision.
Comprising 6,293 components, including 23 complications and fifteen patents, La Quête du Temps asserts itself as a triumph both technical and aesthetic. The calibre 9270 integrates a large tourbillon, perpetual calendar, astronomical indications, and several retrograde functions, a historical signature of Vacheron Constantin. A three-dimensional moon with retrograde display and secular precision adds a second automaton to the ensemble, heightening the poetic nature of the creation.
The splendour of the work also reveals itself in the choice and finishing of the materials. Rock crystal, lapis lazuli, mother-of-pearl, grand feu enamel, and diamonds are shaped using ancestral techniques such as guilloché, high-relief engraving, hard stone marquetry, and miniature painting applied to the inner glass. The result is a structure more than a metre tall, yet astonishingly light and translucent in appearance, as if matter were merely a vessel for the dance of light and time.
La Quête du Temps represents not only an engineering feat but also a genuine cultural manifesto, reflecting the Enlightenment spirit at the origin of the maison and which today continues to unite tradition and innovation. “With this creation we celebrate not only our heritage but also the infinite capacity to dream and create,” declared Laurent Perves, CEO of Vacheron Constantin. For Christian Selmoni, Style and Heritage Director, “it was a human and artistic adventure without precedent, possible only thanks to the passion and talent of all those who shared this vision.”
The result of a collaboration with the Louvre Museum, La Quête du Temps was on display until 12 November, serving as the centrepiece of an exhibition that also brought together historic treasures from the museum’s collection.
Echoing this monumental creation, Vacheron Constantin also presented the Métiers d’Art – Tribute to The Quest of Time, a wristwatch limited to 20 pieces that translates the essence of the automaton on a more intimate scale. Developed over three years and equipped with the new manually wound calibre 3670, made up of 512 components and protected by four patent applications, this model combines high frequency with a six-day power reserve.
The dial is dominated by a gilded figure whose arms serve as retrograde hands, evoking the spirit of the 1930 Bras en l’Air and paying tribute to the automaton of La Quête du Temps. The wearer can choose between two modes of time display: continuous or on demand. Complementing this poetic architecture are a three-dimensional precision moon indicating both the phase and the lunar age, and a celestial map on the caseback, whose accuracy deviates by just one day in more than nine millennia.
As in the monumental piece, the artistic crafts play a central role: the three-dimensional human figure in titanium is finished with gilding and manual patina, the hour and minute arcs are fashioned in white gold, while the 3D moon displays a bi-colour PVD finish. The 43 mm white gold case, certified with the Poinçon de Genève, houses this rare creation, limited to just 20 examples available exclusively in the maison’s boutiques.
Thus, between the sculptural grandeur of La Quête du Temps and the intimate precision of the Métiers d’Art – Tribute to The Quest of Time, Vacheron Constantin reaffirms, in its 270-year legacy, its status as guardian of beauty, technique, and imagination, perpetuating a vision of watchmaking in which time is transformed into art.
