Les Cabinotiers Celestia Astronomical Grand Complication 3600

Description

Video Les Cabinotiers Celestia Astronomical Grand Complication 3600 Reference 9720C/000G-B281 Unique timepiece, customizable upon clients request Pice unique and Les Cabinotiers engraved on the back of the timepiece INDICATIONS: Hours, minutes, perpetual calendar, day/night indication, precision moon phase, age of the moon, running equation of time, sunrise and sunset time, day and night length, seasons, solstices, equinoxes and zodiacal signs, tide level indicator, Sun-Earth-Moon conjunction, opposition and quadrature, transparent sky chart of the northern hemisphere with indication of the Milky Way, of the ecliptic and celestial equator, hours and minutes of sidereal time, tourbillon, 3 weeks of power reserve (6 barrels), power reserve indication. The Fine Watchmaking firmament welcomes a bright new star: the unique twin-dial Celestia Astronomical Grand Complication 3600 combines astronomy and the watchmaking art in a celestial white gold composition. Twenty-three essentially astronomical complications appear on the front and back dials of the watch, providing a reading of time in three modes civil, solar and sidereal each driven by its own gear train. Embodying the height of technical sophistication, its new fully integrated 514-part caliber measures a mere 8.7 mm thick, while six barrels guarantee three full weeks of autonomy. Pursuing the path traced by the majestic Reference 57260 the worlds most complicated watch equipped with 57 complications Vacheron Constantin now presents Les Cabinotiers Celestia Astronomical Grand Complication 3600. Featuring an all-new construction, this mechanical masterpiece follows in the eminent wake of a unique creation representing a milestone in the history of mechanical horology and laying a veritable cornerstone for new watchmaking feats by Vacheron Constantin. Five years of development starting from a blank page, a dedicated master-watchmaker, along with two years of design, have given life to the one-of-a-kind Les Cabinotiers Celestia Astronomical Grand Complication 3600, displaying 23 complications on its twin dials. This Haute Horlogerie heavenly phenomenon is one of the most complex ever made and heir to a proud lineage of astronomical timepieces. It provides a combined display of civil, solar and sidereal times by means of three separate gear trains. A remarkable feat of miniaturisation and engineering, the new Vacheron Constantin Caliber 3600 an integrated movement comprising 514-part while measuring just 8.7 mm thick controls more than 20 functions and has a three-week power reserve. It is yet another vivid demonstration of the technical expertise cultivated by the Maison in the field of astronomical complications. This expertise dates back to the late 19th century, with pocket-watches featuring a perpetual calendar, moon phases and sidereal time; and later, in 1914, equipped with a running equation of time display. More recent exceptional models such as the Tour de lle (16 complications) presented in 2005 and Reference 57260 (the worlds most complicated watch, 57 complications) in 2015 bear further eloquent testimony to this path marked by remarkable achievements. A waltz in triple civil, solar and sidereal time Epitomising the peak of horological mastery, this unique timepiece equipped with a wealth of astronomical complications united within an incredibly small area represents an impressive sum of knowledge, calculations and fine adjustments. Its captivating functions notably feature the triple-time civil, solar and sidereal displays powered by three distinct gear trains, including a tropical gear train dedicated to all the solar functions. Swept over by a pair of white gold open-tipped hands, civil (or standard) time is read off in the traditional manner on the front dial. Civil time is a universally recognised mean time based on the fictional principle that the Sun moves around the equator at a constant speed throughout the year, averaging one full turn every 24 hours. This convenient and conventional choice divides the year into 365.25 days, each day into 24 hours and each hour into 60 minutes. True solar time is on the other hand based on the visible trajectory of the Sun in the course of the day, expressed through its hour angle measured at a given place and time. Depending on the day of the year, the difference between solar time and mean time ranges from +14 to -16 minutes, with the two exactly coinciding only four times a year. This discrepancy is due to the fact that the Earths orbit is elliptical (and not round); that the Sun is not in the centre of this ellipse; that the Earth does not follow this orbit at a constant speed; and lastly that the Earths rotation axis is tilted in relation to the plane of its orbit. Head in the stars Thirdly, sidereal time is read off on the back of the watch. Technically regarded as an astronomical time scale based on the Earths rate of rotation measured with respect to the apparent motion of the fixed stars as observed from a local meridian, sidereal time differs from mean time by approximately four minutes per day, meaning that 24 sidereal hours correspond to 23 hours, 56 minutes and 4 seconds of civil time. Sidereal hours and minutes are indicated in an original and refined way by means of two superimposed sapphire discs. The lower one forming the background features the celestial dome, the celestial time minute-track and the four cardinal points; while the second one placed on top bears the constellations, the projections of the equator (white circle) and the ecliptic (red circle) the latter depicting the Suns annual trajectory as seen from Earth. This Lambert projection is an authentic scientific map corresponding to the constellations in the Northern Hemisphere. Running equation of time on tropical gear train To measure and display the difference between civil and solar time, this timepiece is equipped with a complex and refined equation of time mechanism. Moreover, the latter is also a running equation of time, a kind rarely seen in wristwatches and indicating solar time by means of an additional coaxial pink gold minutes hand adorned with a cut-out sun. The equation of time is generally displayed by a hand moving across an auxiliary sector with a scale running from +14 to -16 minutes and requiring a bit of mental arithmetic to check solar time. The running equation of time is far more complex to create and enables instant readings of solar and civil times. To ensure exactitude and precision, Vacheron Constantin has adjusted it to a tropical gear train simulating the tropical year, meaning the time the Earth takes to make a full turn around the Sun and corresponding to 365.2421898 days. Time and tides This unique creation features a doubled-sided display of 23 complications. On the front, the slate grey dial reveals 15 artfully arranged complications. As well as readings of civil and solar time (running equation of time) by three coaxial hands, it also has a perpetual calendar with a precision moon phase as well as a remarkable mareoscope composed of a tide level indicator and a 3D depiction of the Earth-Moon-Sun alignment. Tides are governed by physical laws and depend on the gravitational attraction and centrifugal forces of these three heavenly bodies. Representing a memory of time yet to come, a perpetual calendar is able to keep track of the irregularities of the Gregorian calendar with no need for any intervention other than a date change every 400 years. It displays the day of the week, the month and the leap-year cycle through apertures, while pointing to the date with a serpentine hand. The fascinatingly elegant precision moon-phase display requires a one-day correction only once in 122 years and is read off by means of two superimposed discs bearing a laser-engraved true image of the full moon, a day/night indication and the age of the moon meaning the number of days elapsed since the last full moon. […]

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