Skip to main content

Vacheron Constantin unveils zodiac series with hand-crafted dials

By Andrew McGrotty Published July 7, 2025

Vacheron Constantin introduces the Métiers d'Art promo shot — Vacheron Constantin

Vacheron Constantin has introduced the Métiers d’Art Tribute to the Celestial, a 12-piece series celebrating the beauty and mystery of the night sky. Each timepiece features a hand-guilloché illustration of one zodiac sign and its associated constellation, marked by diamond stars and powered by the ultra-thin Calibre 2160 tourbillon movement.

The collection represents the pinnacle of Vacheron Constantin’s artistic craftsmanship, combining 270 years of watchmaking heritage with innovative decorative techniques. Each 39mm white gold case is set with 96 baguette-cut blue sapphires totaling approximately 3.87 carats, creating an uninterrupted circle of light around the dial.

Recommended Videos

The series showcases the manufacture’s mastery of hand-guillochage, a technique developed by Vacheron Constantin’s master guillocheur that transforms traditional abstract patterns into figurative art. Each zodiac sign requires approximately 16 hours of meticulous work, involving countless hand-guilloché triangles formed from densely packed straight lines, with each triangle set at a different angle.

The four zodiac signs representing human figures (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Aquarius) feature additional opaline details, while all twelve dials incorporate diamond-set constellations marking principal stars. The gem-setting process requires 27 hours of skilled work, with sapphires channel-set on the bezel to create the impression of floating stones.

Powering these artistic masterpieces is the self-winding Calibre 2160, comprising 188 components yet measuring only 5.65mm thick. The tourbillon movement operates at 2.5 Hz and provides an 80-hour power reserve, with a 22K gold peripheral oscillating weight allowing unobstructed viewing of the meticulously finished movement.

The dial construction involves eight separate steps, with each artisan required to preserve the work of preceding craftsmen. Movement finishing reflects Vacheron Constantin’s commitment to haute horlogerie excellence, featuring perlage decoration, hand-bevelled bridges with Côtes de Genève patterns, and Poinçon de Genève certification.

The series draws inspiration from ancient astronomical traditions spanning 5,000 years, continuing Vacheron Constantin’s long tradition of celestial timepieces while demonstrating how traditional métiers d’art can evolve into new forms of decorative expression.

Andrew McGrotty

Andrew is a full-time freelance writer with expertise in the luxury sector. His content is informative and always on trend.

Topics

Watches

Fashion & Style

The 5 suit brands you need to know to build your first suit wardrobe: Including the first aspirational one

Building a suit wardrobe starts with the brands you can trust

Men's Wearhouse Custom

Look, starting a wardrobe is difficult. You have to decide what kind of man you want to be. What kind of message do you want to send? What kind of budget do you want to use? And how often you want to go back to the drawing board. What kind of man do you want to be? Sounds heavy. Sounds dramatic. Maybe because, in some ways, it is. So much of what people initially believe about you remains in their subconscious long after they get to know you. So what you wear is important. The message you want to send is one of being put together, attentive to details, or it is the opposite. Laid back and unbothered. The budget is also integral to the wardrobe you build. High quality comes with high prices. However, it comes with longevity, so it means you don't have to replace it as often, saving money in the long run. So, what kind of man do you want to be? Hopefully one that wears men's suits.

No matter what man, message, budget, or shopping frequency you choose, a good suit wardrobe will need to be a part of it. So, where do you go? How do you start? Here are the five brands to trust to get started. No Tom Ford, Brioni, giant fashion houses here. These are the five suits for the man starting out. And one for the man aspiring to the next step. The first four, you can grab your first quality suit for around the $1,000 mark. The aspirational one will be your first custom, so it will be a bit more.

Fashion & Style

Longines refreshes its cult-favorite central power reserve in light blue

The Swiss watch company is giving the Conquest Heritage Central Power Reserve some new dial and bracelet options.

Wristwatch, Arm, Dial

Longines has been around since 1832, which makes it one of the oldest continuously operating watchmakers on Earth — old enough to have spent decades strapped to the wrists of aviators and explorers before most brands existed. So when the Saint-Imier company, now part of the Swiss giant Swatch Group, revives something from its own archives, it's got real history to draw on. The Conquest Heritage Central Power Reserve is a good example.

The Conquest line dates to 1954 — the first Longines collection to have its name trademarked with the Swiss IP office. And in 1959, one Conquest model introduced the complication this watch is built around: a power reserve indicator planted dead center on the dial. For 2026, Longines has given the modern revival a light refresh: a new light-blue opaline dial and (for the first time on this model) a stainless-steel bracelet alongside the returning dark leather strap.

Fashion & Style

Shohei Ohtani’s newest Seiko is out of this world

Seiko built Shohei Ohtani a one-of-one watch that tracks a million hours across five rotating discs — and you can't buy it.

Wristwatch, Arm, Body Part

The Seiko Star Time, presented to Shohei Ohtani on July 3, marks his tenth year as a Seiko ambassador. It's not for sale, will never be for sale, and there's exactly one on Earth — currently strapped to the best baseball player alive. Oh, and also? It looks absolutely nuts. Instead of hands, the Star Time tells time with five stacked, concentric discs, each tracking a different scale of accumulated time: 24 hours, then 1,000, 10,000, 100,000, and finally a disc that runs all the way to one million hours.

That's roughly 114 years — a full human lifetime, give or take. The discs turn continuously, so slowly you can't see them move. Seiko named it "Star Time" for exactly that reason: like stars drifting across the sky, the motion is imperceptible in the moment but relentless. A little existential for a watch company, but let's go with it.