This watch is a big deal. In a way it’s as big a deal as the ref. 57260.
Put it this way. The moon landing was a big deal, but what was equally, if not more, important, was all the stuff that was done with the information and knowledge gained from the moon landing. You see what I mean?
The Vacheron Constantin Maître Cabinotier Retrograde Armillary Tourbillon is kind of like that. It’s actually higher on the scale of pragmatism than the ref. 57260, purely due to the fact that it’s a wristwatch and not a pocket watch.
In technical terms, the Retrograde Armillary Tourbillon takes a less intimidating approach than the ref. 57260 for sure — the double retrograde action is applied to the indication of hours and minutes instead of being incorporated with the rattrapante chronograph. The tourbillon with spherical hairspring is a double-axis tourbillon instead of a triple-axis one.
(I say this as if it isn’t completely ludicrous to consider the Retrograde Armillary Tourbillon a lesser horological creation in any way. It isn’t. Get rid of that assumption instanter.)
Some of the patents that were filed during the creation of the ref. 57260 are unfolded to a greater degree in this watch, and we’ll be taking you through them in the next few days, but for now, just relax and take in the spectacle.