The Master Grande Tradition Tourbillon Céleste is proof that the addition of one small detail can make even the most impressive complication shine a little brighter. The orbital flying tourbillon movement in the new watch made its debut in the Master Grande Tradition Grande Complication in 2010, one of the very few such complications to be made. An orbital flying tourbillon is a rarity, and here it is part of a complication that incorporates another rarity: sidereal time. It is unique in that it doesn’t function in one place as a conventional tourbillon does – usually in the 6 o’clock position – but makes a complete turn of the dial, thus rotating not only on its axis but around the periphery of the dial. It makes one turn over the course of 23 hours, 56 minutes and 4 seconds. This precise time unit represents a day in sidereal time, which tracks time according to the stars. Both solar time and sidereal time make use of the regularity of Earth’s rotation about its polar axis, but solar time following the Sun, while sidereal time follows the stars.
This new edition, the Master Grande Tradition Tourbillon Céleste, is even more special because of the application of something called Super-LumiNova, a photoluminescent pigment used mainly on sports watches to cause dial elements – usually hands and markers – to glow in the dark or underwater for greater visibility. Here, the lume is used to highlight a series of constellations positioned on a dial that depicts the night sky in the Northern Hemisphere. All the constellations, along with hour markers, are lit up like a Las Vegas marquee.
The spectacle is framed by an outer ring displaying the astrological symbols associated with the zodiacs. A tiny gold marker, which can be seen just beyond the orbit of the flying tourbillon, revolves around the dial once a year, indicating which constellation is current according to the star calendar. The rotating tourbillon carriage is almost overshadowed by the constellations, but stands out with its rose-colored balance wheel. The manual caliber 946 drives hours, minutes, zodiac calendar, 24-hour civil time, month, orbital tourbillon and skychart. It has a 45-hour power reserve. It is water resistant to 50 meters, and limited to 28 pieces. It is priced at 155,000 Euro, to be converted upon purchase at current rates.
