The most complicated watch - Vacheron Constantin ref.57260
Eight years ago manufacture Vacheron Constantin began to work on a very specific order - the client companies do not want to personalize existing wtches, as often occurs, and the creation of entirely new. This fact that the implementation of such a request is pretty rare, but not exceptional in the history of the Geneva brand. However, all tools produced before pale against the backdrop of the fact that master of Vacheron Constantin have done for contemporaries - he received not just a watch, but the most complicated watch in the world. And agreed to talk about its purchase.
The work was carried out by three masters, specially designated for such an ambitious project, and the result of their work steel watch with 57 complications. Since the final product brand introduced in the year of its 260th anniversary, it was decided to combine the numbers 57 and 260 for watch title - Vacheron Constantin ref. 57,260.
They are identical to form a pocket, but it is only superficial resemblance, too large clock itself. Mechanism with 57 complications demanded massive body: its diameter is 98 mm, and thickness - 50.55 mm. Caliber diameter is 72 mm and the thickness - 36 mm. It consists of 2,800 components, the plant by hand and works autonomously for 60 hours. Weight of this watch is 960 grams. Exotic tool with a large part of the known world time function, which was an incredibly difficult task to do. But the company has developed for it yet and unique complication, the most important of all is the eternal Jewish calendar.
Unlike the Jewish calendar the Gregorian is lunisolar length of the year and it is tied to the period of revolution of the Earth around the Sun, and the month and date - to the Moon. This means that the month starts only at new moon, and each calendar date corresponds to the same phase of the moon. The number of days in the Jewish month of either 29 or 30, and the months of the year - 12 or 13. The choice between the 29th and 30th days, 12th and 13th months is carried out under the special rules that the titanic efforts of engineers Vacheron Constantin has been translated into the language of mechanical watchmaking.
The watch has even Gregorian perpetual calendar, which provides two options for reading: traditional Gregorian calendar and business calendar with ISO 8601, used in the international financial sector, for example, in the annual financial reports of companies, with a weekly payment of wages or paying rent at planning projects based on weekly cycles.
Among the non-standard technical solutions should also include a mechanism of large and small battle. It can delight the ear of the owner of Westminster chime modes Grande sonnerie or Petite sonnerie. But most importantly, that it can be converted into silent mode, which is activated by a slider located on the body - to beat the clock stop time between 22:00 to 8:00. Entangled in the modes of operation is not possible, since the company has developed a system of indicators prompts.
The watch’s got two dials. The first shows the main time, here is the Jewish calendar and chronograph. The second is located a tourbillon, a second time zone indicator, astronomical functions and perpetual Gregorian calendar. The dial is decorated with a map of the sky showing the constellations visible in the sky, the home time zone. Above the tourbillon is an indicator of the equation of time, the arrow that indicates the difference between the true solar time and mean solar time. On either side of the tourbillon are indicators of time of sunrise and sunset, the duration of day and night in the home time zone.
The price of this watch and its owner we know nothing. However, it is clear that afford such things can only people with level of Jacob Rothschild. The ability to dream up on this theme provides video, created for the presentation of Vacheron Constantin watches. Customer seen from the back in a few seconds. You can watch it here, on our Youtube channel: