Vacheron Constantin has unveiled the Les Cabinotiers Minute Repeater Tourbillon Skeleton, a unique timepiece that brings together two of traditional watchmaking's most demanding complications—the minute repeater and tourbillon—with an exceptionally elaborate skeletonisation of the movement. The piece was presented as a one-of-a-kind creation from the Maison's Les Cabinotiers department.
At its heart is the new Calibre 2755 TMR SQ, a skeletonised evolution of Vacheron Constantin's emblematic Calibre 2755. The movement's transformation required approximately one year of development, with the architecture extensively reworked to expose its mechanical components while preserving the structural integrity required by its complex striking mechanism.
The result is a remarkable mechanical sculpture. The movement contains 473 components, with approximately 40% of the mainplate's volume removed during the skeletonisation process. Its components receive nine different finishing techniques, including beveling, sandblasting, circular graining, wheel circling, mirror polishing and sunburst finishing.
The watch's minute repeater chimes the hours, quarters and minutes on demand. Vacheron Constantin equips the mechanism with a silent centripetal striking regulator, designed to control the tempo of the chimes while minimizing the background noise traditionally associated with regulating the striking mechanism.
At 6 o'clock, the tourbillon rotates once every minute, simultaneously serving as the small-seconds display. The tourbillon carriage incorporates the Maison's signature Maltese Cross motif, while its finishing requires extensive manual work from specialist artisans.
The open architecture is framed by a 45mm 18K 4N pink-gold case measuring just 12mm thick. Rather than using a conventional opaque dial, Vacheron Constantin employs a transparent sapphire dial that provides an unobstructed view of the skeletonised movement. Blue detailing and gold hour markers provide the only visual interruption to the mechanical landscape.
Despite its complexity, the hand-wound Calibre 2755 TMR SQ remains only around 6.1–6.3mm thick and provides approximately 58 hours of power reserve. The entire creation is certified with the prestigious Poinçon de Genève (Geneva Seal), reflecting the stringent standards applied to its construction and finishing.
The watch is completed with a blue calfskin strap with a textured finish and an 18K 4N pink-gold folding clasp. As a Les Cabinotiers creation, the timepiece is produced as a unique piece, with its price available on request.
