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- Vacheron Constantin has launched two 25-piece limited editions celebrating the Year of the Goat, the latest in its Métiers d’Art The Legend of the Chinese Zodiac series.
- The watches pair a 40-mm case in 18K 5N pink gold or 950 platinum with a dial
- Each piece combines incredible detailing realised through relief engraving, miniature painting, and grand feu enamel.
- The self-winding Calibre 2460 G4 swaps conventional hands for four discs displaying the time, day, and date in apertures.
As one of the GOATs of watchmaking, Vacheron Constantin’s latest effort could not be more fitting. Relishing in its seemingly boundless capacity for making watches that act as a beacon for horology’s highest echelons, the maison has unveiled a pair of appropriately ambitious new additions to its Chinese zodiac series.
Both watches feature dials boasting a hand-engraved goat standing majestically atop a rocky outcrop against a dreamy enamelled landscape. This three-dimensional visage, paired with an unconventional time-telling mechanism, makes Vacheron Constantin’s Métiers d’Art The Legend of the Chinese Zodiac – Year of the Goat a fitting celebration of the eighth sign in the 12-year zodiac cycle.
Both references are limited to just 25 pieces, with Vacheron executing one in pink gold and one in platinum. Every bit as intricate as you’d expect from a watchmaker that has been honing its craft since 1755, they’re a stunning example of why Vacheron is so lauded. Let’s take a closer look.
Pink Gold Edition Key Specs:
- Reference: 86073/000R-H105
- Case: 18K 5N pink gold
- Diameter: 40 mm
- Thickness: 12.72 mm
- Water resistance: Approx. 30 metres
- Dial: Opaque miniature grand feu enamel on 18K 5N pink gold; hand-engraved and enamelled pink gold goat and rock
- Strap: Dark brown Mississippiensis alligator leather
- Clasp: 18K 5N pink gold folding clasp
- Movement: Calibre 2460 G4
- Power reserve: Approx. 40 hours
- Limited edition: 25 pieces
- Price: On request
Platinum Edition Key Specs:
- Reference: 86073/000P-H104
- Case: 950 platinum
- Diameter: 40 mm
- Thickness: 12.72 mm
- Water resistance: 30 metres
- Dial: Opaque miniature grand feu enamel on 18K white gold; hand-engraved and enamelled white gold goat and rock
- Strap: Dark blue Mississippiensis alligator leather
- Clasp: 950 platinum folding clasp
- Movement: Calibre 2460 G4
- Power reserve: Approx. 40 hours
- Limited edition: 25 pieces
- Price: On request
Vacheron Constantin’s Historical Chinese Connection
Vacheron Constantin clearly wants its clients to celebrate in style when February 2027 sees the Year of the Goat succeed the Year of the Horse. Within Chinese culture, the new sign symbolises a range of characteristics. These include gentleness and sensitivity, loyalty, honesty, strength, and resilience. Perhaps above all, it also stands for auspiciousness and good fortune. That said, if you can afford one of these, it’s likely you already have your fair share of the latter.
The maison first launched its Chinese zodiac cycle in 2012, followed by a second 12-year cycle in 2024. It’s a fitting line, as the brand’s ties to China run deeper than other brands that might also release collectible timepieces to mark the zodiac cycle. Archival records show Vacheron Constantin shipped 33 pairs of watches to Canton, the largest city of Guangdong in southern China, way back in 1846. This kicked off a long relationship that included orders from dignitaries of the Chinese imperial court.
These orders were often made in pairs and decorated with engraving, enamel, and precious stones. This history makes the brand’s new pair of exquisitely adorned, limited-edition zodiac watches feel like a continuation of a long-running tradition, even beyond the Chinese zodiac cycle.
Dial and Case
When I say exquisitely adorned, I’m in part referring to the goat and rock. Depending on the case, these are sculpted from either 18kt white or pink gold by a master engraver who then uses relief engraving to build up fine details like the horns and fur. A hand-patinated finish adds texture and contour, while enamel miniature painting picks out other nuances in colour. All in, the motif alone takes three days of meticulous work.
The background is another undertaking altogether. Vacheron Constantin uses two meticulous enamelling techniques here. The first is a multi-coloured grand feu enamel with a gradient from a lighter centre to slightly darker edges. The second is miniature-painted enamel deployed to create the scene’s foliage. Colour is applied in layers with a very fine brush before the dial plate is fired at more than 800°C. This process is repeated as many times as it takes to achieve the full colour range and the right tonal intensity throughout. In all, this process requires two weeks of intensive work.
In another lovely touch, the backgrounds of the four indication windows (more on that in a moment) are chosen to harmonise with each model’s enamel. The pink gold edition has both warm orange and green apertures that echo its autumnal foliage and green grass, while the platinum model opts for an all-green approach to match its more lush take on the scene.
Across both, this meticulously appointed scene is contained within a 40-mm case. Whether you opt for the aforementioned pink gold or platinum will depend on your own personal appetite for the warmer tones of the former or the cooler impact of the latter.
Movement
None of this works without a movement that leaves plenty of dial real estate for our majestic goat friend, and Calibre 2460 G4 does precisely that. Rather than hands sweeping across the artwork, a system of four discs (one at the edge of each dial quadrant) shows trailing hours and minutes in apertures on the upper part of the dial, with jumping day and date windows on the lower part. The result is an open canvas for the maison’s artisans to play with.
This self-winding calibre is made up of 237 components within a diameter of 31 mm and a thickness of 6.05 mm. The movement boasts 27 jewels, 28,800 vibrations per hour, and around 40 hours of power reserve. On the finishing front, you get perlage, Côtes de Genève, hand-bevelled bridges and hand-finished jewel sinks. Plus, it’s Hallmark of Geneva certified. You can see the whole affair through the sapphire caseback, which also shows off the open-worked 22kt yellow gold oscillating weight with a polished Maltese Cross.
Straps
As for ensuring your new watch is securely tethered, Vacheron Constantin delivers the pink-gold edition on a dark-brown alligator leather strap and gives the platinum version the dark-blue treatment. Each will surely keep your watch as secure as a mountain goat perched upon a steep cliff.
The maison has hand-crafted both straps with tone-on-tone stitching and a saddle finish. Plus, they’re fastened with a folding clasp in the same metal as the corresponding case. Each watch also comes with a corrector pen for setting the day and date.
Price and Availability
As mentioned, Vacheron Constantin has limited each of its new Métiers d’Art The Legend of the Chinese Zodiac – Year of the Goat references to just 25 pieces.
As you might expect, pricing is only available upon request, but you can discover more via your local Vacheron Constantin retailer or the online boutique via the link below.
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