There are watches built for daily wear, and then there are pieces that exist in a different category altogether, where complexity isn’t just a technical benchmark but a way to rethink how time is experienced. Vacheron Constantin’s Les Cabinotiers Temporis Duo Grand Complication Openface belongs firmly to the latter. Introduced as a single-piece edition, the watch brings together three of the most demanding complications in horology—a minute repeater, a split-seconds chronograph, and a tourbillon regulator, within a transparent design that puts the movement front and center.
The 45mm case, made of 5N pink gold, holds the Calibre 2757 S, a hand-finished movement composed of 696 parts. Despite its complexity, the calibre remains just 10.4mm thick. Vacheron Constantin’s team worked with lightweight, modern materials—titanium, silicon, aluminium, and nickel-phosphorus—to reduce friction and support performance. The result is a 50-hour power reserve, even when the chronograph is running.
The chronograph is operated by a single push-piece at 2 o’clock for the basic controls, and another at 4 o’clock to manage the split-seconds function. Two central seconds hands track elapsed time on the dial’s outer scale, with a 30-minute counter at 2 o’clock. Built for accuracy, the mechanism runs at 18,000 vibrations per hour and measures time to 1/5th of a second.
The minute repeater includes a flying strike governor designed to regulate the speed and consistency of the chime using centripetal force. The shape and motion of the flyweights help maintain an even rhythm without added mechanical noise. The governor is visible through the caseback and engraved with “JMV,” a reference to Jean-Marc Vacheron. At 6 o’clock, the tourbillon adds another layer of precision. Its spherical hairspring expands and contracts evenly, improving timekeeping, while the cage—shaped like the brand’s Maltese cross—completes one rotation per minute with a small seconds hand on its axis.
The design of the watch is built around transparency. A 0.5mm-thick sapphire dial reveals the structure and decoration of the movement. Frosted and polished textures alternate across the surface. Rings in 5N gold circle the counters, grey NAC-treated hour markers are added by metallisation, and engraved chronograph scales are inked for clarity.
The aluminium chronograph hands are finished in olive green, matched by a green alligator leather strap. The view through the caseback shows the blackened bridges, sandblasted by hand and edged with mirror-polished bevels. Titanium wheels with beveled spokes are hand-finished, and the semi-circular bridge holding the strike governor has been entirely polished by hand—a single step that took eight hours to complete.
Historically, Vacheron Constantin has built watches that combine these complications, though mostly in the form of pocket watches. Bringing them together in a wristwatch is less common and far more difficult. The maison’s past includes a long line of advanced mechanical efforts—from early 19th-century deadbeat seconds to multi-axis tourbillons and minute repeaters in slim calibres. The Berkley Complication is a recent example of a high-performance pocket watch. The new Les Cabinotiers piece continues that timeline without imitating it, adapting past ideas into something that reflects current material and design possibilities.
Every step, from finishing each part to final assembly, was carried out by one watchmaker. This approach speaks more to a way of working than a design philosophy—it ensures complete control over the process and reflects how seriously the watch brand treats its own standards. Vacheron Constantin states “it took twice as long for the finishing of its components as it did to assemble and fit it into the case,” a detail that speaks volumes about the detailing involved in this watch.
When asked about the performance aspect of such a complex mechanism, Christian Selmoni, Style & Heritage Director at Vacheron Constantin, explained: “This grand complication incorporates a chronograph in its most accomplished version – with split-seconds, a function that demands the utmost precision. The watchmakers at Vacheron Constantin paid particular attention to this issue, which is essential for obtaining Poinçon de Genève certification. This label of origin is also – and above all – a guarantee of quality and precision, stipulating in particular that watches awarded certification must operate with a margin of error of no more than one minute after seven days of testing. As for the reliability and functionality of the chronograph, this watch has benefited from in-depth research into materials, in order to achieve excellent performance and optimisation of the energy chain.”
The Les Cabinotiers Temporis Duo Grand Complication Openface isn’t about making a statement—it’s about testing the limits of what a single wristwatch can hold. It does this by combining precision engineering, deliberate design, and material research without losing the human element. It’s a piece that will never be repeated, but one that reflects how far a high complication can be taken when the design, materials, and finishing are all treated as part of the same equation.
