The masterpiece of Vacheron Constantin Replica watchmakers thus broke the record from 2015, belonging to… what else – Vacheron Constantin, reference 57260, presented on the brand’s 260th anniversary. The new record holder, called “The world’s most complicated watch”, contains 63 watchmaking complications and 2,877 elements. This record is made up of eleven years of the factory’s work, including a whole year devoted to assembly. All the watch’s components were test-assembled before the decorations were made, and after checking the correct operation, the manual work related to the watchmaking art of hand-decorating the mechanism’s elements began.
The double-sided caliber 3752 consists of the above-mentioned 2,877 components, 245 stones, 31 hands and 9 discs. Complications spanning the entire watchmaking spectrum are integrated in this caliber in their most spectacular form. The chronograph has a split-second function (or rattrapante, i.e. a double second hand with a catching hand), the moon phases are extremely accurate and do not require correction for 1027 years.
The main innovation of Les Cabinotiers – The Berkley Grand Complication is the traditional Chinese calendar. It is the first watch to present it in the form of a perpetual calendar, with all the calculations and details typical of Chinese culture. Its priority (in the scale of the entire project) is evidenced by the number of complications assigned to it – eleven – and two for the Chinese lunisolar calendar.
The whole thing is enclosed in a (truly monumental) white gold case with a diameter of 98 mm and a thickness of over 50 mm (the mechanism has as many as four plates). The weight of the watch is less than… a kilogram(!). The hand-wound caliber 3752 has a 60-hour power reserve and is certified by the Geneva Seal. Christian Selmoni, responsible for unique Vacheron Constantin creations, recalls that the “Berkley” was not tested by the Swiss chronometric testing institute COSC, but internal tests showed that it was within the -4 / +6 seconds limit.
Vacheron Constantin has a long tradition of providing the most complex watches to the world’s nobles and rulers. Three of the most extraordinary watches of their time became the prized possessions of two Egyptian kings – Fu’ad I and his son Farouk, and Count Guy de Boisrouvray. The fourth, equally extraordinary, was made to the specifications of the distinguished collector James Ward Packard.
What do we know about “Berkley”? The name comes from the name of the mysterious customer who placed an order for such a unique piece. An American collector, businessman and philanthropist who has been collecting watches for over 50 years and, according to Vacheron, this is the same client who ordered the previous record holder, reference 57260 from 2015. What is most interesting, the whole idea of the watch and consultations with VC watchmakers, were discussed much earlier, before the customer was given an order. The order for the “Berkley Grand Complication” was placed before 57260 was completed.
