The Vacheron Constantin Les Cabinotiers Armillary tourbillon is a celebration of Art Deco grandeur

By Bryle B. Suralta

Around the turn of the century, Art Deco would come to define a new age. It blended modernity and industrialisation, with machine-like elements elevated to high art. The movement would materialise at the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes in Paris and would eventually take the United States, as well. Soon, it was a style that would be reflected in architecture, design, furniture, fashion, jewellery and, yes, watches.

Right there in this intersection was Vacheron Constantin, a brand that would reflect the buoyancy of the roaring twenties with the American 1921, a timepiece emblematic of the times. Today, the watchmaker pays tribute to the Art Deco era with the new Les Cabinotiers Armillary tourbillon. Featuring an in-house Calibre 1990 with a bi-axial tourbillon regulator and bi-retrograde hours and minutes display, this watch is an exemplary take on the old-world charm and sumptuous ornamentation of the ’20s. It’s a piece brimming with historical references.

“In the range of single-piece editions representing the American leg focuses on our Récits de Voyages, we wanted to include a highly technical, highly structured watch,” says Sandrine Donguy, Product and Innovation Director at Vacheron Constantin. “The intention was to draw architectural inspiration from the early 20th century Art Deco-style New York skyscrapers.”

In the heart of this technically impressive piece is the Calibre 1990, a manual-winding movement unique to Vacheron Constantin. Borrowing from arguably the world’s most complex timepiece, the Les Cabinotiers Reference 57260 watch, this feature enables an instantaneous bi-retrograde display and a bi-axial armillary tourbillon, including a spherical balance-spring.

Part of what makes the Les Cabinotiers Armillary tourbillon so distinct, however, is that this is the first time the watchmaker has performed engraving work on this particular movement. The generous armillary tourbillon and open-worked dial are the crown jewels of the architecture of the watch. There are several techniques on display here: one is the Bas-relief, which offers an accentuated motif than drypoint work, another is the hand-chased action on the surfaces and the other is the gentle use of the intaglio tool.

Of course, the allure of the guilloché work makes the Les Cabinotiers Armillary tourbillon such a captivating timepiece. Machined from a nickel-silver alloy, it complements the engraving techniques perfectly. The front’s calibre is entirely hand-guilloché and is done in a geometrical, purely Art Deco-inspired radiating pattern.

A black DLC surface treatment, on the other hand, highlights the contrast with the colour of the case and bridges. On the back, three engraved bridges offer a motif reminiscent of the New York skyscrapers during the early 20th century. These motifs carry over to the folding clasp that secures the black alligator leather strap of this 45 mm-diameter model. All are references to the brass and wrought iron typical of Art Deco.

The Les Cabinotiers Armillary tourbillon is arguably a more decadent version of the American 1921 in form and character. Both present a dynamic offbeat style from a bygone era, as well as the attitudes that birthed Art Deco in the first place.

Donguy elaborates on the American 1921’s influence, “Vacheron Constantin was no longer targeting only the great American families of industrialists and financiers, but all those who were prepared to break the rules at the height of the Prohibition era.” The new Les Cabinotiers Armillary tourbillon hopes to have the same lasting effect.

Visit Vacheron Constantin for more information.

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