Rolls-Royce and Vacheron Constantin’s one-off watch fits snugly in a car’s dashboard

Rolls-Royce and Vacheron Constantin have united to create a unique timepiece, designed to fit into the dashboard of the Rolls-Royce Amethyst Droptail. 

Les Cabinotiers Armillary Tourbillon, which comes with a bi-axial tourbillon and double retrograde display, is designed to fit seamlessly into the Calamander Light open-pore wood veneer dashboard of the Rolls-Royce Coachbuild commission (the Coachbuild department also recently revealed another bespoke commission, the Rolls-Royce La Rose Noire Droptail), and comes in a removable holder designed by Vacheron Constantin.

‘Vacheron Constantin has worked closely with the British luxury house on the technical specifications and finishing details to create this unique timepiece,’ says Vacheron Constantin style and heritage director Christian Selmoni. ‘In this context, materials, colours, and aesthetics of this single-piece edition were carefully chosen to achieve the highest result in terms of design integration.’

A client commissioned the luxury houses to create the piece, requesting it be both elegant and robust. ‘Challenges were both in the watchmaking field and in a perfect integration of this timepiece into the car’s front panel,’ Selmoni adds. ‘Speaking about technical achievements, our calibre 1990 is truly unique, as it features an instant retrograding display for hours and minutes, coupled with a spectacular twin-axis tourbillon. The removable holder, integrated into the front panel of the bespoke Rolls-Royce, is also a demonstration of technical know-how and exceptional finishes – I am thinking about the holder’s plate crafted in 18ct gold and adorned with “guillochage”, a decorative craft used in watchmaking, using hand-driven machines built more than one century ago!’

The finished piece encapsulates the values of both Rolls-Royce and Vacheron Constantin. ‘Both companies, since their inception, always had in mind the highest standards in terms of conception and execution. There are very interesting parallels to mention, such as excellence within the mechanical aspects of their activities – car engines and watchmaking movements, for example. And of course, I would like to mention an obsession with details – especially related to the finest craftsmanship. Both Rolls-Royce and Vacheron Constantin are dedicated to creating objects of beauty, beyond – simply said – functionality.’

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