This Ultra-Complex Watch Costs $1 Million USD

Having previously created the most complex timepiece ever made back in 2015, watchmaker Vacheron Constantin has once again outdone himself in the horological stakes. Inspired by astronomy and taking five years of the craftsman’s life to develop, the Les Cabinotiers Celestia Astronomical Grand Complication 3600 — or just “Celestia” for short — boasts 23 complications and a $1,000,000 USD price tag.

One of the most complicated watches ever made, inspired by history’s watchmaking grandmasters, the Celestia is both a testament to time itself and a tribute to the importance of design over a desire to do things quickly. Speaking to WIRED, Constantin shared an admiration for the greatest watchmaking artisans, saying that”They were developing something that reflected their new ideas, without regard for the time required” — a process very much applied to the creation of the Celestia.

A unique work of art, the initial Celestia — which even eschews the standard perpetual calendar in favour of a gear train linked to solar indications, because it “would not be precise enough” — has reportedly already been sold but Vacheron Constantin is moving forward with a view to creating other one-off customer orders of the piece.

In other watch news — and looking to something a little more affordable — Braun has reissued two of its classic timepieces.