Cover Vacheron Constantin marks its 270th anniversary with the La Quête du Temps astronomical clock
Vacheron Constantin marks its 270th anniversary with the La Quête du Temps astronomical clock
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As part of its 270th-anniversary celebrations, Vacheron Constantin presents La Quête du Temps, a monumental astronomical clock and automaton, together with a limited-edition Métiers d’Art wristwatch that distills this extraordinary creation into wearable form
For its milestone 270th anniversary, Vacheron Constantin has unveiled a series of exceptional timepieces throughout the year. Perhaps the most ambitious of all is the latest launch: La Quête du Temps, a monumental astronomical clock unlike any before it. The product of seven years of development, it features a mechanism comprising 6,293 components, and unites disciplines as diverse as horology, automaton design, astronomy, and decorative crafts.
Standing more than a metre tall, the automaton takes the form of an humanistic Astronomer whose graceful choreography both indicates the time and evokes mankind’s age-old fascination with the cosmos. The clock has 23 complications including a tourbillon, perpetual calendar, sunrise and sunset indications, sidereal time, and a three-dimensional retrograde moon-phase accurate for 110 years. Beyond technicality, it is also a dazzling object of wonder bringing together multiple métiers d’art: lapis lazuli inlays depict the solar system, diamonds trace constellations, and the celestial vault painted on its dome recreates the night sky above Geneva, Switzerland, on 17 September 1755—the day that Vacheron Constantin was founded.
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Above The automaton-Astronomer is positioned beneath a glass dome decorated with a celestial vault and a golden sun at the top of La Quête du Temps
The automaton-Astronomer is positioned beneath a glass dome decorated with a celestial vault and a golden sun at the top of La Quête du Temps
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Reach for the Stars
What sets La Quête du Temps apart is its extraordinary automaton. The Astronomer, cast in gilded bronze and set with diamonds, comes to life through 144 distinct gestures driven by 158 cams. Its movements—pointing to the moon, tracing constellations, or indicating the time on suspended scales—are designed to appear smooth and almost human, complete with the tilt of the head following the arms. These choreographies are accompanied by specially composed melodies, produced by a mechanical “music machine” developed with master automatier François Junod. Unlike historical automata created for decoration, this figure is integrated into the very timekeeping function of the clock, making it a genuine complication in its own right.
For Vacheron Constantin, the Astronomer is deeply symbolic. By gazing upward and measuring time against the stars, it embodies the spirit of enquiry and wonder that has defined the Swiss brand since 1755. As Christian Selmoni, Vacheron Constantin’s director of style and heritage, notes, the project was as much a human adventure as a technical one, uniting artisans, watchmakers, astronomers, and designers in a shared quest for excellence.
La Quête du Temp clock will be unveiled at the Louvre in Paris, France, as the centrepiece of the Mécaniques d’Art exhibition from 17 September to 12 November 2025, shown alongside masterworks of horology and automata from across centuries.
Above The structure of La Quête du Temps is defined by three integrated sections: the dome, the astronomical clock and the base
The structure of La Quête du Temps is defined by three integrated sections: the dome, the astronomical clock and the base
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From Monument to Wristwatch
As is often the case at Vacheron Constantin, this grand creation also inspired a wristwatch: the Métiers d’Art Tribute to the Quest of Time. Limited to 20 pieces, the double-sided timepiece condenses the philosophy of the clock into a wearable scale, blending technical innovation with artisanal refinement.
At its heart is the new manually wound Calibre 3670, a high-frequency movement with 512 components and four patent applications. Notably, it introduces a dual-mode retrograde display: a golden human figure on the dial uses its arms to indicate hours and minutes across two arcs, either continuously or on demand at the press of a pusher. This innovation, which recalls the brand’s historic 1930 “Bras en l’Air” pocket watches, combines theatre with functional ingenuity.
Above The Vacheron Constantin Métiers d’Art Tribute to the Quest of Time wristwatch is inspired by the eponymous clock and limited to 20 pieces
The Vacheron Constantin Métiers d’Art Tribute to the Quest of Time wristwatch is inspired by the eponymous clock and limited to 20 pieces
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The front dial also houses a 3D moon phase showing the exact age of the moon, as well as double retrograde power reserve indicators. Flip the 43 mm white gold case over and the reverse reveals a celestial map that tracks constellations in real time, calibrated to a sidereal day—the period it takes Earth to complete a full rotation relative to the fixed stars, independent of its orbit around the Sun. The artistry extends to every detail: titanium elements treated with gold and hand patina, enamelled arcs, and sapphire layers etched with the Geneva sky as it appeared in 1755.
“Is it always possible to do better? Is it always possible to be amazed? Undeniably,” says Laurent Perves, CEO of Vacheron Constantin. “At Vacheron Constantin, the pride and emotion we feel with each new project comes from the freedom and passion to create, which is fuelled by the quest for excellence and innovation. The result of seven years of work, this unparalleled collaborative project has given life to a marvellous object, a mécanique d’art that brings together mankind and the universe, in an unprecedented cultural and artistic statement. It also inspired, as is always the case at Vacheron Constantin, a Métiers d’Art wristwatch like no other.”
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Annabel Tan is the Editor of Watches and Jewellery at Tatler Singapore, where she covers all things luxury timepieces and fine jewellery across both print and digital platforms. She is also the Editor of Tatler GMT Singapore, a role that deepens her fascination with the ever-evolving world of watchmaking. Outside of work, she’s usually on the hunt for her next favourite watch that she can’t afford, planning her next beach getaway, or catching up on the latest Formula 1 race.
