The watchmakers working at the manufacture have done it again, demonstrating unparalleled mastery of their craft.
Historians believe festivals of Bacchus known as the Bacchanalia were the epitome of excessive revelry and overindulgence. So much so that to this day, the word Bacchanalia is synonymous with knowing absolutely no limits. In the first few days of January 2022, the watchmakers at Vacheron Constantin unveiled the Bacchus model dedicated to the Roman god as part of the the Les Cabinotiers collection, which allowed them to demonstrate the level of artistic and technical mastery they've attained, where there's no limit to what the imagination can bring to life.
The one-of-a-kind Les Cabinotiers Grande Complication Bacchus marries mythology with technology in a watch which combines symbols of the mythological god of wine with an ultra-complicated movement boasting sixteen complications. Space needed to be utilized on both sides of the case to accommodate all the indications. Inspiration for the novelty was drawn from the Tour de l'Île watch released in 2005 to commemorate the Genevan manufacturer's 250th anniversary.
For Les Cabinotiers Grande Complication Bacchus, astronomical indications have been placed where the caseback is usually bare: a sky chart of the constellations, an indication for the Moon phase and age of the Moon, sidereal time indication (hours and minutes) and indications for the seasons and sign of the zodiac.
The dial side has been reserved for the traditional hour and minute hands along with a tourbillon cage in the shape of a Maltese cross at 6 o'clock, small seconds, a minute repeater, power reserve and alarm torque indication as well as the perpetual calendar functions: date, weekday and month counters along with the indication of the leap-year cycle.
Those who like to keep track of natural cycles will also find the sunrise and sunset time indication interesting. All of these indications are powered by the manual-winding Caliber 2755 GC16 movement. It consists of 839 components and has a power reserve of 58 hours. The movement which bears the Poinçon de Genève (Hallmark of Geneva) quality hallmark is housed in an ornately decorated pink-gold case.
Hand-engraved vine leaves can be seen on the bezel, while the caseband is sculpted in bas-relief depicting the same motif. Grapes are represented by 113 rubies weighing a total of approximately 1.84 karats. The luxurious case measures 47 mm in diameter and 19.1 mm in height.
The choice of shades also alludes to the pleasure of wine. A champagne color was chosen for the indications on the dial side, while the shade of red wine is used on the caseback. An enrapturing horological festivity by Vacheron Constantin!