In Depth: Vacheron Constantin Les Cabinotiers “The Berkley” Grand Complication
Vacheron Constantin presents the world’s most complicated watch once again, surpassing its own record set by the Reference 57260 in 2015. Commissioned by the same American collector who owns the 57260, the Vacheron Constantin Les Cabinotiers “The Berkley” Grand Complication boasts many of the complications found in its predecessor but gains a world first, a perpetual Chinese calendar. Made by the elite three-man team responsible for the 57260, the Berkley is a unique mechanical achievement with over two faces and over 60 complications. It joins a major collection of pocket watches that includes not only the 57260 but also the King Farouk I grand complication made by Vacheron Constantin for the Egyptian monarch in the 1930s. Initial thoughts Named after its owner, the Berkley cannot be compared to commonplace high horology. Instead it sits among the historical greats – which happen to all be pocket watches – like the the Breguet Marie Antoinette, Leroy 01, and of course the Patek Philippe duo of the the Graves Super Complication and Calibre 89. But now the Berkley trumps them all, having pushed the boundaries of possibility to sit at the zenith of watchmaking. The owner of the Berkley, insurance tycoon William R. Berkley, evidently has a keen appreciation of mechanical excellence. The watch is a masterpiece in the extreme art of micro engineering. But not only is it exceptionally complicated, it boasts a first in watchmaking – a perpetual Chinese calendar com...
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