Vacheron Constantin’s Christian Selmoni on the power of horology in reconnecting mankind with the cosmos

What is time? Most of us answer reflexively: hours, minutes, calendars, deadlines. Yet these are only human inventions. Time itself existed long before civilisation — encoded in the rotation of the earth, the return of the seasons, the waxing of the moon, and the movement of the stars. 

Today, unfortunately, time has been reduced to numbers glowing on screens and alerts vibrating in pockets. The fascination mankind once had with how the cosmos guided our lives appears to have vanished. 

As Vacheron Constantin celebrates its milestone 270th anniversary, it has chosen to highlight this forgotten age-old relationship with time through The Quest. Beyond a theme that guides the watch releases over this past year, it is also the subject of a series of travelling exhibitions that blends horology with astronomy and the human experience.

It was during the recent Singapore chapter of the show that Christian Selmoni, the maison’s style and heritage director, explained this idea — that watchmaking was born from mankind’s earliest, and still ongoing, attempts to make sense of the universe — with striking clarity. 

And how better to begin one’s journey of discovery than with Vacheron Constantin, the oldest continuously operating watchmaker in the world?

Reconnecting with the skies

“The motto of Vacheron Constantin is: “Do better if possible, and that is always possible.’ The Quest exhibition is an extension of this motto, reflecting our passion for beautiful high watchmaking, from design to technicality, and from technology to decorative crafts,” stated Selmoni.

The show, he added, was not simply a celebration of the house’s age or prestige; it was a chance to reconnect people with the origins of time itself. “There’s a section dedicated to our founding and long history, but being a senior in watchmaking doesn’t mean something officially positive. It’s one thing to have seniority, but the more important thing is: What do you do with this expertise and these traditions?”

The modern world sees time as a tool of convenience, but Selmoni reminded us that its roots are cosmic. “Watches are basically timekeepers. Today, we want to know if it’s 2 o’clock or 5 o’clock. We are totally disconnected from the notion of how time resonates with us.”

This is why The Quest felt so relevant, with the exhibition layout designed to reignite that profound sense of wonder. Visitors began with a historical sweep through the maison’s 270-year timeline before entering the Heritage Room, where nearly 50 archival pieces demonstrated just how varied, imaginative, and adventurous Vacheron Constantin has always been.

“What is fascinating is not the number of watches,” Selmoni noted, “but the diversity in style, design, and technicality. It shows this creative and innovative attitude.”

The most powerful moment, however, came at the end. In a dim, contemplative space inspired by ancient observatories, the exhibition reveals its heart: astronomy. Celestial charts glow. Constellations revolve. The complications on display — sidereal time, sunrise and sunset, the equation of time — trace the heavens with astonishing precision. “Horology is the daughter of astronomy,” Selmoni said simply. “And it’s 100 per cent true.”

In this room, time sheds its modern definition as a productivity tool. Instead, it reclaims its original identity. These astronomical complications, Selmoni emphasised, “give us the possibility to think about the fact that we humans are not at the centre of the world — the universe is much broader.”

As The Quest shifts from philosophy to practice, its ideas take shape in the maison’s most extraordinary creations to date. Some interpret the heavens through intricate astronomical functions, others through artistic craftsmanship or mythological symbolism. Together, they reveal how Vacheron Constantin continues to evolve while remaining anchored to the origins of time itself.

The Quest of Time astronomical clock

At the heart of the 270th anniversary celebrations stands The Quest of Time, a monumental mecanique d’art created in partnership with the Louvre in Paris. Having taken seven years of development, it features 6,293 components, 23 horological complications, and an extraordinary automaton representing an astronomer beneath a celestial dome. 

Every aspect — from the tourbillon to the retrograde indications, from the celestial vault to the musical melodies — reflects a deep reverence for astronomy and craftsmanship.

This mechanical sculpture is not merely a clock. It is a three-part kinetic universe comprising a dome, an astronomical clock, and a base replete with artistic decoration and horological innovation. It serves as both the intellectual and emotional nucleus for the entire The Quest family of timepieces.

Metiers d’Art Tribute to the Quest of Time watch

While the clock is the anchor, this 42mm white gold wristwatch translates its ideas into a wearable form. Limited to just 20 pieces, it features the new Calibre 3670, four patent applications, and a poetic double-sided construction.

On the front, a sculpted human figure uses its arms to indicate the hours and minutes via a double retrograde display inspired by the 1930 “Bras en l’Air” pocket watch. This time indication can be shown continuously or activated on demand, thanks to an intricate mechanism that draws on the Twin Beat technology developed in 2019.

Behind the figure is a celestial vault representing the Geneva sky on the exact date of the maison’s founding: 17 September 1755, determined with the help of astronomers from the Geneva Observatory. The reverse of the watch displays a rotating sky chart that tracks constellations and sidereal time with astonishing accuracy.

Les Cabinotiers Grand Complication High Jewellery Moon Dust watch

This 45mm white gold creation continues the cosmic narrative through a high jewellery interpretation of lunar exploration. It incorporates 16 astronomical and calendar complications, all regulated by a tourbillon and complemented by a minute repeater. 

Decorative crafts including engraving, guillochage, and diamond setting evoke the textures, light, and mystery of a voyage from earth to the moon. Powered by Calibre 2755 GC16, the watch includes indications of sunrise and sunset, equation of time, sidereal time, and a rotating celestial disk.

Les Cabinotiers Cosmica Duo Grand Complication watch

Another of the year’s most ambitious showpieces is this 46mm single-piece reversible watch in white gold with 24 complications. Its new Calibre 2756-B1 features 1,003 components and took four years to develop.

One side displays a celestial chart, sidereal time, and a second time zone, all rendered in a deep blue palette that mirrors the night sky. The other side is an open mechanical landscape showing true solar time, sunrise and sunset, moon phases, equation of time, and the length of day and night.

Les Cabinotiers Armillary Tourbillon Myth of the Pleiades watch

This 45mm white gold single-piece edition is one of the most evocative pieces in The Quest series. It pays homage to Greek mythology’s Seven Sisters — daughters of Atlas, who were transformed into stars in the constellation Taurus. The story is intricately engraved into the case, with diamonds accentuating the dramatic relief work.

The watch is powered by Calibre 1990, which includes a bi-axial armillary tourbillon and a bi-retrograde time display. The tourbillon’s architecture evokes 18th-century armillary spheres used to chart celestial coordinates.

Les Cabinotiers Celestia Astronomical Grand Complication watches

Completing the anniversary suite are two extraordinary grand complications, paying homage to ancient astronomers Ptolemy and Copernicus, in white and pink gold respectively. Each 45mm single-piece edition is powered by the manufacture Calibre 3600, which incorporates 23 astronomical complications and showcases a double-sided display.

The cases are engraved using the champleve technique, illustrating either the geocentric model proposed by Ptolemy or the heliocentric model revived by Copernicus. The watches display civil time, solar time, and sidereal time, as well as perpetual calendar indications, moon phases, sunrise and sunset times, and a rotating sky chart.

Metiers d’Art Tribute to The Celestial watches

The series brings The Quest back to the stars with a 12-piece collection inspired by the zodiac constellations. Each watch features an extraordinary interpretation of hand-guillochage developed by Vacheron Constantin’s master guillocheur.

The constellations appear as sculptural motifs across a deep blue dial, punctuated by diamond-set stars, while the four zodiac signs represented by human figures are further distinguished with opaline touches to enhance depth and contrast. 

Surrounding this celestial tableau is a 41mm white gold case set with 96 baguette-cut blue sapphires using a channel-setting technique that creates an unbroken ribbon of light. Inside, the ultra-thin self-winding Calibre 2160 tourbillon beats beneath a peripheral rotor, ensuring an unobstructed view of the finely finished movement.