Written In The Stars: Vacheron Constantin’s Métiers d’Art Tribute To The Celestial
3 min read
Vacheron Constantin turns its gaze skyward with the Métiers d’Art Tribute to the Celestial a poetic collection of twelve extraordinary timepieces, each dedicated to a zodiac sign and its corresponding constellation. This series brings together two pillars of the Maison’s legacy: watchmaking excellence and artistic craftsmanship.
Each reference in the collection features a delicately hand-guilloché dial adorned with diamond-set constellations. The zodiac symbols come to life through not just abstract decoration, but detailed, expressive illustrations crafted entirely by hand. The result is a sky map rendered in gold and sapphire, encased in 18K white gold with a bezel set with 96 baguette-cut blue sapphires (~3.87 carats), designed to echo the deep hue of the dial and offer a floating, luminous effect thanks to channel-setting. The 39mm case is a study in refinement, where every element from lugs to crown to buckle has been meticulously gem-set, requiring 27 hours of painstaking work.
At the heart of these celestial canvases is the ultra-thin Calibre 2160, a self-winding tourbillon movement just 5.65mm thick. Comprising 188 components, this in-house marvel features an 80-hour power reserve and operates at a frequency of 2.5 Hz. It displays hours, minutes, and small seconds via the tourbillon carriage, while a peripheral 22K gold rotor ensures uninterrupted views of the finely finished bridges and plates, adorned with Côtes de Genève, perlage, and polished screw heads. True to the Maison’s standards, each timepiece is certified with the prestigious Poinçon de Genève.
The creation of each dial involves a complex choreography of eight meticulous steps. It begins with marking the dial base a thin disc of 18K 5N gold followed by the application of a sunburst finish and opaline touches (for the four signs with human figures: Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Aquarius). Only then does the guilloché artist begin the process of bringing the zodiac figure to life. This in house technique uses an intricate network of tiny, hand-engraved triangles, each angled differently to catch light in a distinct way. Just one zodiac illustration takes approximately 16 hours of focused guillochage work.
Once complete, the dial undergoes precise steps including aperture cutting for the tourbillon, application of blue colouring, fine line engraving to trace the constellation, protective varnishing, stamping of minute and seconds tracks, and the setting of diamonds to mark each constellation’s key stars. The final additions of applied white gold indexes and the Maltese Cross emblem echo the linear rhythm of the guilloché and the geometry of the sapphire setting.
The inspiration behind this celestial series is rooted in ancient human fascination with the night sky. From Babylon and Mesopotamia to Greek, Roman, Chinese, and Indian civilizations, cultures across the world have gazed upward and found meaning among the stars. Among the 88 officially recognised constellations today, twelve align with the Sun’s path across the sky the zodiac signs. These twelve have been honoured by Vacheron Constantin in this tribute, bringing together ancient astronomy, astrology, and the mysteries of time.
The collection also nods to Vacheron Constantin’s long-standing engagement with zodiac themes. From its 1927 Art Deco clock created with Verger Frères, to the “Legend of the Chinese Zodiac” enamel series launched in 2012, and even the grand complications of Reference 57260 and The Berkley (2024), the stars have always been part of the Maison’s language. This new Métiers d’Art series draws directly from a one-off 2021 creation — the Les Cabinotiers Minute Repeater Tourbillon Sky Chart Leo Constellation Jewellery — which showcased a figurative guilloché Leo with a diamond-studded constellation. That single piece has now expanded into an entire universe.
With Tribute to the Celestial, Vacheron Constantin has not only traced the constellations across its dials, it has mapped out a legacy: one that fuses art and astronomy, tradition and innovation, myth and mechanism all under the vast, eternal canopy of the night sky.
