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Lot Essay
The Ref. 43532/000J-3 sits at the pinnacle of Vacheron Constantin's Les Complications collection—a series devoted to the maison's most technically demanding and artistically accomplished creations. This reference brings together two of watchmaking's most revered disciplines: the perpetual calendar complication and the art of skeletonisation.
The dial is entirely openworked, revealing the intricate mechanics beneath. White enamel subsidiary dials at the four corners display the calendar functions—date, day of the week, month with leap year indication, and moon phase—while gilt faceted lance hands provide legibility against the exposed movement. The visual effect is both technical and poetic, transforming what is normally hidden into a celebration of mechanical artistry.
The 36mm 18k yellow gold case features a diamond-set bezel set with approximately 80 brilliant-cut diamonds. Quick-set buttons allow convenient adjustment of the calendar functions, a practical refinement for a watch of this complexity.
At its heart beats the finely engraved and skeletonised Calibre 1120⁄1, a 36-jewel automatic movement with a 21K gold rotor bearing the engraved Maltese cross—the symbol of Vacheron Constantin since 1880. The movement carries the prestigious Stamp of Geneva, the hallmark awarded only to movements of exceptional finishing and precision.
Skeletonising a perpetual calendar movement demands extraordinary skill. The watchmaker must carefully remove material from the plates and bridges while preserving the integrity and function of the complex calendar mechanism beneath. The chamfering and engraving that follow require equal mastery, transforming industrial components into objects of beauty.
The dial is entirely openworked, revealing the intricate mechanics beneath. White enamel subsidiary dials at the four corners display the calendar functions—date, day of the week, month with leap year indication, and moon phase—while gilt faceted lance hands provide legibility against the exposed movement. The visual effect is both technical and poetic, transforming what is normally hidden into a celebration of mechanical artistry.
The 36mm 18k yellow gold case features a diamond-set bezel set with approximately 80 brilliant-cut diamonds. Quick-set buttons allow convenient adjustment of the calendar functions, a practical refinement for a watch of this complexity.
At its heart beats the finely engraved and skeletonised Calibre 1120⁄1, a 36-jewel automatic movement with a 21K gold rotor bearing the engraved Maltese cross—the symbol of Vacheron Constantin since 1880. The movement carries the prestigious Stamp of Geneva, the hallmark awarded only to movements of exceptional finishing and precision.
Skeletonising a perpetual calendar movement demands extraordinary skill. The watchmaker must carefully remove material from the plates and bridges while preserving the integrity and function of the complex calendar mechanism beneath. The chamfering and engraving that follow require equal mastery, transforming industrial components into objects of beauty.