Christian Selmoni on the Vision and Complexity Behind Vacheron Constantin’s Calibre 2757

Some watches are built to impress from a distance. Others invite you to come closer. The Les Cabinotiers Temporis Duo Grand Complication Openface is firmly in the second category.

At first glance, it appears restrained, elegant. But under the sapphire dial lies something extraordinary, a rare combination of three of the most demanding complications in watchmaking: a minute repeater, a split-seconds chronograph, and a tourbillon.

“The combination is very rare in wristwatches, essentially for reasons of volume and precision,” says Christian Selmoni, Style and Heritage Director at Vacheron Constantin.

“More usually in grand complication wristwatches, we see minute repeaters associated with perpetual calendars. That configuration certainly requires a great deal of expertise, but the chronograph, with its clutch and column-wheel system, is an even bigger issue in terms of miniaturisation.”

On this model, that challenge is amplified by the inclusion of a rattrapante mechanism and a tourbillon.

These elements not only occupy significant physical space but also influence the acoustic quality of the minute repeater.

“The more cluttered the case is with components, the more it can jeopardise the quality of the sound,” Selmoni explains.

To address that, the Maison made a clear design choice: to reveal rather than conceal. “The choice of an openworked sapphire dial for this new version of Calibre 2757 was made to reveal and highlight the full complexity of the mechanism,” he says, “not least the ballet of its tourbillon, which remained hidden in the initial version presented in 2022.”

Yet complexity alone does not define this piece; precision does. The chronograph, in its split-seconds configuration, demands a level of accuracy that few movements achieve.

For Vacheron Constantin, this precision is not just mechanical, but philosophical. “This function demands the utmost precision,” Selmoni says. “The watchmakers paid particular attention to this issue, which is essential for obtaining Poinçon de Genève certification.”

But just as striking as the mechanics is the finishing. “The aesthetics of the piece are just as important as the mechanical prowess it represents,” says Selmoni.

Each of the movement’s 696 components is finished by hand. “Some operations, such as chamfering and round-polishing, are extremely time-consuming. The precision of the hand finishes cannot tolerate even the slightest error.”

The result is a visual and tactile experience. From the softly gleaming bridges to the play of light on polished screws and grained surfaces, every detail speaks to Vacheron Constantin’s enduring devotion to its craft.

As with the early cabinotiers, a single watchmaker oversees every step, from finishing to final casing, a quiet tribute to centuries of transmitted knowledge.

This is a watch designed to be understood, slowly, layer by layer. In the words of Selmoni, “This is exactly what Vacheron Constantin wanted to highlight with this watch.”