Vacheron Constantin unveils its most complicated watch yet at Watches and Wonders
The Vacheron Constantin Les Cabinotiers Solaria Ultra Grand Complication has 41 complications and 13 patents

Vacheron Constantin is pushing the technical limits at this year’s Watches and Wonders, by unveiling its most complex wristwatch. The Les Cabinotiers Solaria Ultra Grand Complication watch weighs in with an impressive 41 complications, including five with astronomical functions, requiring a total of 13 patents.
This new watch in the Grand Complications series speaks to Vacheron Constnatin’s history of mastering technical complexities, which can be traced back to the end of the eighteenth century, when the brand introduced the first watch with a date display.
Since then, Vacheron Constantin has explored an eclectic array of complications, paying particular attention to astronomically-themed mechanisms. In this new watch, five rare complications are presented in a previously unseen combination, informing wearers of the position, the height, the culmination and declination of the sun, as well as the temporal identification of celestial objects.
‘It is the most complicated wristwatch in the history of horology'
Christian Selmoni, director of Style and Patrimony
As well as tracking this information on the dial, three readings offer varying conceptual ways of telling the time. Civil time, shown on the front dial with hour and minute hands, tracks the 24 hour day. Sidereal time, displayed on the reverse of the watch, takes 23 hours, 56 minutes and 4 seconds to complete, the time it takes for Earth to complete a full 360° rotation when focusing on a fixed star as a reference point. It takes four minutes less than a normal day as the Earth rotates on its axis while also revolving around the sun, giving a speedier return to its point of origin. The final reading, solar time, tracks the approximately fifteen minute difference between the solar and civil day.
The watch is the result of eight years of development. ‘It is the most complicated wristwatch in the history of horology,’ says Christian Selmoni, director of Style and Patrimony. ‘Because it combines an unrivalled 41 functions with a tourbillon regulator, the mechanism had to be arranged in the most logical and compact way possible. The first solution was to bring together all the primary complications, timekeeping, calendar, chronograph and chiming, on a single base plate and to concentrate the astronomical functions on an additional module.'
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Hannah Silver is the Art, Culture, Watches & Jewellery Editor of Wallpaper*. Since joining in 2019, she has overseen offbeat design trends and in-depth profiles, and written extensively across the worlds of culture and luxury. She enjoys meeting artists and designers, viewing exhibitions and conducting interviews on her frequent travels.
-
Luc Tuymans debuts his largest ever paintings at Venice’s majestic San Giorgio Maggiore Basilica
Luc Tuymans is the latest artist to be commissioned by San Giorgio to present work inside its famous space
-
A Brazil office makes the most of its tropical location
We tour of a new Brazil office engulfed in greenery – welcome to Gabriel Faria Lima Corporate by Perkins & Will
-
Bon appétit! These are the best restaurants in Paris
Experience haute cuisine at the best restaurants Paris has to offer, from a vegetable-centric menu at Arpège to alchemical cuisine at Plénitude
-
Tudor hones in on the details in 2025’s new watch releases
Tudor rethinks classic watches with carefully considered detailing – shop this year’s new faces
-
Are ‘jump hour’ watches the most enjoyable trend to come out of Watches and Wonders?
Watches and Wonders 2025 saw new jump hour watches from Bremont, Cartier, Gerald Charles, Hautlence, Svend Andersen and others
-
Piaget’s new Sixtie watches recall a glamorous history at Watches and Wonders 2025
Piaget draws on historical codes with the trapeze-shaped Sixtie watch collection, revealed at Watches and Wonders 2025
-
Cartier dials up the glamour at Watches and Wonders 2025
Cartier revamps much-loved watch collections, from Privé and Panthère to Tank and Tressage, upping the sparkle at the watch fair in Geneva
-
Patek Philippe brings 15 new timepieces to Watches and Wonders 2025
The Swiss manufacturer showcases its intricate complications and elegant designs at the annual trade show with a suite of new models
-
Watches & Wonders 2025: preview Richemont’s latest innovations, on show at the Geneva watch fair
Discover eight enticing timepieces from the luxury group, showcased this week at the Geneva fair
-
Every new Rolex watch unveiled at Watches and Wonders 2025
Our editors are on the ground at the biggest trade show in the horological calendar, where key industry players take the stage. Here, we spotlight Rolex as it reveals its new wave of watches
-
Tag Heuer celebrates its racing credentials at this year's Watches and Wonders
Tag Heuer nods to its partnership with Grand Prix de Monaco with this year's sporty new watches