Mapping Trajectories by Rosemarie Chiarlone  explores the journey of an iconic structure from its original site to a new home. Beginning its life at the 27th Avenue crossing of the Miami River, the Wolfsonian–FIU Bridge Tender House is now a Miami Beach landmark, resting on the Washington Avenue sidewalk outside the museum. Blending poetry, painting, and typography, Chiarlone transforms the Bridge Tender House into a streetside canvas, filling the windows with large, abstracted, and vibrantly colored aerial maps. The project also includes a unique artist's book, Tender , displayed in our lobby, and a newsprint tabloid with a poem that visitors can take home. Artist Rosemarie Chiarlone explores the physical and psychological boundaries of human connection. Chiarlone's artist books, works on paper, and installations often focus on the changing landscape of Miami. February 1–May 4, 2025 The Wolfsonian–FIU @ 1001 Washington Avenue About the Bridge Tender House Architects Harrington & Cortelyou's Art Deco-style Bridge Tender House, dedicated as the Josephine Baker Pavilion, is one of two stainless-steel structures that sat at the ends of the Northwest 27th Avenue Bridge over the Miami River after its 1939 expansion. The Bridge Tender House was saved from demolition when the bridge was rebuilt and donated to The Wolfsonian in 1993. Today it is located in front of the museum along Washington Avenue and is often the site of contemporary art installations. By ML Staff. Courtesy of The Wolfsonian–FIU

On Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025,  Feeding South Florida ® , the leading hunger-relief organization in South Florida, will host its Annual Outrun Hunger 5K Miami. Runners, walkers, families and community leaders of all ages will come together to take steps to raise funds and awareness to end hunger in South Florida at Tropical Park in Miami.    Currently, in South Florida, there are over 1.2 million food insecure individuals, and one in nine individuals in South Florida remain uncertain about where they will get their next meal due to inflation, the strained supply chain, rising fuel prices and increased housing costs, among other factors.     Registration is currently open to all four counties that Feeding South Florida serves including Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe at feedingsouthflorida.org/events/     Participants can join the event as an individual or a team. Those not participating in the race may also support the organization by creating a personalized fundraising page when they register.    ML Staff. Images courtesy of Feeding South Florida®

Rossinavi has consistently demonstrated excellence in luxury yacht design and construction, with a focus on integrating advanced technology into every aspect of its projects. The company’s approach to innovation goes beyond aesthetics, emphasizing functionality, sustainability, and efficiency in its vessels. A prime example of this is the development of BluE, a philosophy that aims at improving the efficiency of hybrid propulsion. By optimizing energy use, there is a reduction of fuel consumption and a minimization of the environmental impact of the yacht. This pack of technologies responds to the increasing demand for eco-friendly solutions in the luxury yachting sector, balancing sustainability with performance. Artificial intelligence also plays a key role in Rossinavi’s advancements. The Rossinavi AI system enables smart automation of various onboard functions, such as power management, lighting, and climate control. By simplifying these processes, the system enhances the user experience, allowing for seamless and intuitive yacht operation. Catamarans like Seawolf X highlight Rossinavi’s commitment to pushing boundaries in yacht design. This exploration-focused yacht features advanced hull design and hybrid propulsion, ensuring efficiency, comfort, and extended autonomy—ideal for long-range cruising in remote areas. Similarly, the Oneiric concept is designed with sustainability in mind, incorporating solar panels for extended zero-emission cruising. Looking ahead, Rossinavi remains dedicated to merging technology and design in innovative ways. The company will soon unveil a new concept at Design Miami, further underscoring its focus on creating advanced, efficient, and sustainable yachts. This latest development is expected to continue Rossinavi’s trajectory of thoughtful, forward-thinking design. To learn more visit www.rossinavi.it/en and instagram.com/rossinavi By ML staff. Images courtesy of Rossinavi.

Indulge in our exquisite collection of alcohol-free concoctions to start the new year, expertly crafted to elevate your taste experience at Artisan Beach House at The Ritz-Carlton Bal Harbour , Miami . From refreshing fruit fusion to sophisticated herbal blends, our mocktails promise a delightful symphony of flavors without the spirits. Our coffee has just been elevated with a “Velvet Espresso” mocktail infused with Lure’s Amaretti, Fresh Espresso, Vanilla Ice Cream and Shaved Chocolate. If you are craving something on the sweeter side, our “Sicilian Pineapple” mocktail will be your drink to indulge in. *If you are to purchase each mocktail individually, it will be a fixed price of $14 plus tax per glass. CONTACT INFORMATION The Ritz-Carlton Bal Harbour, Miami 10295 Collins Avenue, Bal Harbour Florida 33154, United States Tel +1 (305) 455-5400 Reserve now Website By ML Staff. Images courtesy of The Ritz-Carlton Bal Harbour, Miami

The Chiron is the fastest, most powerful, and exclusive production super sports car in Bugatti’s history. Its sophisticated design, innovative technology, and iconic, performance-oriented form make it a unique masterpiece of art, form and technique that pushes boundaries beyond imagination. The Skyview option was developed in accordance with the attributes that characterize the Chiron. From inside, the glass roof enables a view into another dimension, flooding the cockpit with natural light. It generates a new feeling of speed and space, turning a drive in a Bugatti with skyview option into an incomparable, three-dimensional experience. The two glass elements are installed on either side of the central fin, which protrudes from the Chiron’s carbon fiber body and stretches fluidly towards the signature line, which defines the car's unmistakable profile. The heart of the Chiron is its quad-turbocharged 8 l W16 engine. This unique masterpiece generates an incredible 1,500 hp and 1,600 Nm of torque, with an almost linear power output between 2,000 and 6,000 rpm. Four high-performing turbochargers work in a two-stage controlled configuration, and define this champion of performance. A remarkable 60,000 liters of air are pumped through the engine every minute. Click below to launch slideshow > Simultaneously, 800 liters of water per minute circulate through the Chiron’s heart, and guarantee the cooling of the engine and generate the extraordinary power. For more info, visit www.bugatti.com Chiron Specs Price: 2.7M US Dollars Top Speed: 304.77 miles per hour (world record) Class: Sports car (S) Body style: 2-door coupé Engine: 8.0 L (488 cu in) quad-turbocharged W16 Power output: 1,103 kW (1,500 PS; 1,479 hp) Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch[2] Assembly in France: Molsheim Designers: Achim Anscheidt, Sasha Selipanov, Etienne Salome, Frank Heyl By ML Staff. Images courtesy of Bugatti

Sotheby's is pleased to present  Art of the Americas, Featuring the American West   during  Visions of America   on January 24, 2025 - a curated two session auction of important paintings, drawings and sculpture. Led by Martin Johnson Heade's  Hummingbirds and Gold and Purple Orchids , session one will feature historical works of art celebrating the landscapes, people and culture of the Americas. Session two will focus on fine art of the American West from historical to present day and is highlighted by Alfred Bierstadt's sublime painting,  Yosemite.  For assistance with bidding and registration, please contact: +1 212 606 7000 enquiries@sothebys.com ML Staff. Content/image courtesy of Sotheby's

The Board of Directors of the Florida Housing Finance Corporation (FHFC) has unanimously elected Sandra Veszi Einhorn as Chair of its Board of Directors. With over two decades of leadership in the housing and nonprofit sectors, Veszi Einhorn has become one of Florida's foremost advocates for promoting bi-partisan solutions to address housing affordability issues. Her wealth of experience and commitment to economic mobility through housing stability will continue to support legislative efforts and bring together stakeholders in a collaborative way. Veszi Einhorn has served on the board since being appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis in 2019 and most recently served as the Corporation’s Vice Chair and Chair of its Audit committee.    Veszi Einhorn’s chairmanship comes at a critical moment in the state’s history. Florida continues to face an unprecedented shortage of affordable housing options, with the Florida Housing Coalition reporting a need for over 300,000 additional affordable rental units statewide to meet demand. The average rent in Florida has increased by 24% over the last two years, significantly outpacing wage growth. Additionally, Florida is ranked among the top states in the nation for housing instability, putting thousands of families at risk of displacement, homelessness and financial ruin. FHFC manages and implements programs as directed by the Florida Legislature, including the recently passed Live Local Act. Live Local is a comprehensive, statewide attainable housing strategy, designed to increase the availability of affordable housing opportunities for Florida’s residents. In addition to a multitude of new programs, incentives, and opportunities, this legislation works to focus Florida’s housing strategy in ways that make housing more attainable. FHFC implements programs that support the development of multifamily residential housing, homeownership, and creates innovative approaches for all housing markets.   As the Executive Director of the Coordinating Council of Broward since 2016, Veszi Einhorn has been at the forefront of housing advocacy in Broward County and across Florida. She was instrumental in the 2018 referendum that created the Broward County Affordable Housing Trust Fund, providing a critical revenue stream to support development and preservation. Under her leadership, the Coordinating Council also published Housing Broward: An Inclusive Plan, the county's first comprehensive housing strategy. Additionally, she has led successful efforts to raise awareness and combat the stigmas surrounding housing affordability. She played a key role in developing marketing strategies that fostered broader community support for affordable housing initiatives, helping to reduce resistance to new projects and foster partnerships across sectors.   “I am honored to take on the role of Chair of the Florida Housing Finance Corporation at such a critical time,” said Veszi Einhorn. “Florida’s housing affordability crisis is one of economics and health, and it affects every resident, employee and business owner in our state. As Chair, I will continue to champion the message that housing be treated as a foundational element for economic stability and social well-being. We must continue to support our Governor and Legislature in developing policies and providing funding that address the housing shortage, support affordable development, assist first time homebuyers and ensure that Florida remains financially competitive for our workforce. I look forward to working with all of our stakeholders to continue to bring new tools to the solution box of housing affordability.”   Veszi Einhorn’s leadership in Broward County has already resulted in significant outcomes, including the co-authorship of the Housing Broward Master Plan, which charts a clear roadmap for addressing the county’s housing needs over the next decade. A certified nonprofit professional and licensed real estate broker, Veszi Einhorn is also Chair of the Broward County Homeless Continuum of Care Board’s PONG Committee, Co-Chair of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance’s Housing Affordability Pillar and Chair of the Broward Days Housing and Homelessness Impact team. Veszi Einhorn’s accomplishments have earned her significant recognition, including the 2021 Inspiring Woman of Health award, a place in the South Florida Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 and Influential Business Women lists and most recently being inducted into the Broward County Public School Alumni Hall of Fame.  By ML Staff. Image courtesy of Florida Housing Finance Corporation

Patek Philippe is enriching its vast array of timepieces with a new collection that stands out by its unique alliance of daring and elegance. Endowed with a highly original square-shaped case with rounded corners and a dial adorned with horizontal relief embossing, the new Cubitus (registered design) makes its debut in three versions, each with its own strong character. The technical model, Cubitus Instantaneous Grand Date, Day and Moon Phases, Reference 5822P001 in platinum, powered by a new movement with instantaneous displays for which six patent applications have been filed; the vintage touch of the two-tone Cubitus model Reference 5821/1AR-001 in steel and rose gold with a blue sunburst dial; and Cubitus Reference 5821/1A001 in steel, the very essence of sporting elegance, with an olive-green sunburst dial. While it has made its mark as the virtuoso of complications, Patek Philippe has also achieved distinction in the design sphere, developing its own aesthetic style and creating some of the most renowned and immediately recognizable watches in the entire horological universe. Creativity has always been at the heart of the Patek Philippe spirit, as evidenced by the vast array of collections and models spanning every segment of the watch market. Each new watch model is the occasion for the manufacture to express its unique vision of fine watchmaking, and to give free rein to its imagination and zest for invention, by drawing on numerous sources of inspiration and replying to the Patek Philippe customers’ wide variety of tastes. And so the collections emerged, each with its own character. The Calatrava, in 1932, archetype of the round wristwatch; the Golden Ellipse, in 1968, its harmonious proportions inspired by the Golden Section; the Nautilus, in 1976, leader in the field of sporting elegance; the Gondolo collection, in 1993, contemporary embodiment of the Art Deco spirit; the Aquanaut, in 1997, emblematic of modern, casual chic; the Twenty~4, in 1999, timeless feminine elegance incarnate, completed in 2018 by the launch of the Twenty~4 Automatic. All of these models, with their pure, clean lines, destined to rise above passing fashion while losing nothing of their beauty and appeal Each an enduring icon of watch design, evolving by subtle touches, while retaining its powers of seduction as the years and generations pass. A new exclusive square-shaped case with an elegantly slim profile With the launch of the Cubitus collection Patek Philippe’s aim was to offer a new reinterpretation of the “elegant sporty” style. To do so, the manufacture chose to explore an original geometry based on the square. A visit to the Patek Philippe Museum in Geneva reveals that the company has already proposed, in its collections, a number of quadrangular-shaped cases (squares, rectangles, trapezoids, cushions), particularly in the Art Deco period, when this type of aesthetic flourished. For the new Cubitus collection, however, Patek Philippe developed a completely original, innovative design in which the square bezel adopts rounded corners: a shape both daring and subtle, blending the square, the circle and the octagon. The new Cubitus case also stands out by its two attachments, one on either side of the case and its two-part construction (back/caseband + bezel) with casing-up done from the front. The 45 mm diameter combines with an extremely slender profile, ensuring timeless elegance. Another particularity: the bold geometry of the design is enhanced by the use of contrasting finishes – “vertical satin-brushed” on the flat of the bezel and the front of the case, and polished on the bezel’s chamfer and the case flanks. These finishing techniques require some 55 manual operations per watch, performed with the painstaking devotion to fine workmanship that distinguishes all Patek Philippe creations. The integrated metal bracelet equipping two of the three Cubitus models features this same pattern of alternating finishes – vertical satin-brushed on the main links and polished on the central links. A dial and a rotor enriched with a horizontal decoration To emphasize the strong character of the new Cubitus collection and play up its sporty air Patek Philippe enriched the dials with horizontal relief embossing, creating fine plays of light. As a signature feature of the collection, this horizontal decoration is also found on the rotors and mini-rotors of the Patek Philippe movements equipping the Cubitus models, accompanied by the Genevan manufacture’s emblem, the Calatrava cross. Cubitus Instantaneous Grand Date, Day and Moon Phases Reference 5822P-001 A technical model endowed with a new complication, in a movement for which six patent applications have been filed To mark the birth of the new Cubitus collection, Patek Philippe is unveiling a completely new model in platinum with original displays uniting a large-format date, the moon phase and the day of the week, all changing instantaneously. The manufacture developed for the purpose a new caliber 240 PS CI J LU self-winding movement for which it has filed six patent applications, such as those relating to the distribution of the energy required for the different displays and their simultaneous jump in 18 milliseconds. These innovations guarantee, in particular, perfect alignment of the large-date digits, and the possibility of correcting all the indications at any time of the day. The grand date is displayed in a double aperture at the 12 o’clock position by means of two co-planar disks (that is, placed on exactly the same plane). The coaxial day and moon-phase indications are positioned at 7 o’clock, complemented by a small asymmetric subsidiary seconds counter at 4:30. On the blue sunburst dial, adorned with horizontal relief embossing, legibility is ensured by applied batonstyle hour markers and rounded baton-style hour and minute hands, all in white gold with a white luminescent coating. The distinctive design of the platinum case as a square with rounded corners, a 45 mm diameter and an elegantly slender profile, gains further finesse from the contrast between its polished and vertical-satinbrushed finishes. A transparent sapphire-crystal case back affords a private view of the movement, with its 22K gold off-center mini-rotor presenting the same horizontal decoration as the dial. Like all the Patek Philippe models in platinum, this timepiece has a diamond, here a baguette cut for the first time, set into the bezel at 6 o’clock. The modern, casual chic style with a technical edge continues through to a navy-blue strap with cream contrasting stitching in an ultra-resistant composite material embossed with a fabric motif, and a Cubitus fold-over clasp in platinum. Patek Philippe also includes new Cubitus cufflinks in the collection, designed to match the watch, their white-gold frame echoing the shape of the case and centering a blue sunburst motif adorned with an embossed horizontal relief decoration (205.9821G-001). Cubitus Reference 5821/1AR-001 A two-tone version in steel and rose gold with a vintage touch, featuring a blue sunburst dial Patek Philippe plays up the elegant, daring design of its new Cubitus collection by endowing it with a two-tone version in which the bezel and central bracelet links in rose gold combine with a caseband and lateral links in steel. A refined contrast, highlighted by the alternating polished and vertical-satin-brushed finishes. The completely new case, 45 mm in diameter, stands out by its highly original design, based on a square with rounded corners, and its remarkably slim profile (8.3 mm), making it supremely elegant on the wrist. With its two-part construction and screw-down crown, it is certified water-resistant for all aquatic activities to a depth of 30 meters. The blue sunburst dial with horizontal relief embossing combines elegance and legibility, with its applied baton-style hour markers and rounded baton-style hour and minute hands, all in rose-gold with a white luminescent coating. An inlaid frame in rose gold decorates the date aperture at 3 o’clock. This model houses the caliber 26-330 S C self-winding movement, a derivative of the base caliber 26- 330 introduced in 2019, endowed with a stop-seconds mechanism (allowing the watch to be synchronized with a time signal to an accuracy of one second) and other technical innovations, particularly related to the winding system. The transparent sapphire-crystal display back affords a private view of this movement’s architecture and painstakingly finished and decorated parts, such as the central rotor in 21K gold, adorned with the same horizontal motif as the dial. The bracelet in steel and rose gold features a lockable size-adjustment system and a patented Patek Philippe fold-over clasp secured by four independent catches for comfort and safety. Patek Philippe also includes new Cubitus cufflinks in the collection, designed to match the watch, their rose-gold frame echoing the shape of the case and centering a blue sunburst adorned with an embossed horizontal relief (205.9821R-001). Cubitus Reference 5821/1A-001 Sporty elegance par excellence in a model with a steel case and bracelet and an olive-green sunburst dial Patek Philippe has reinvented the elegant sporty watch with a completely new Cubitus model in steel, combining a square-shaped case with rounded corners with an integrated bracelet whose architecture delivers both flexibility and strength. Alternating polished and vertical-satin-brushed finishes highlight the bold modern design. The 45 mm-diameter case is remarkable for its elegant finesse on the wrist (8.3 mm). The dial, adorned with horizontal relief embossing, sports an elegant shade of olive green illuminated by a fine sunburst motif. Applied baton-style hour markers and rounded baton-style hour and minute hands, all in white gold with a white luminescent coating, make legibility excellent. An inlaid frame in white gold decorates the date aperture at 3 o’clock. At the heart of this new model beats the same caliber 26-330 S C self-winding movement that powers the Cubitus Reference 5821/1AR-001, with central rotor in 21K gold adorned with a horizontal motif. The steel bracelet features a lockable size-adjustment system and a patented Patek Philippe fold-over clasp secured by four independent catches for comfort and safety. Patek Philippe also includes new cufflinks in the collection, designed to match the watch, their whitegold frame echoing the shape of the case and centering an olive-green sunburst adorned with horizontal relief embossing (205.9821G-010). ML Staff. Courtesy of Patek Philippe

Love is in the air and the kitchen! Celebrate Valentine’s Day early with  Feeding South Florida ® – the leading hunger-relief organization in South Florida. The nonprofit organization will host "Love in the Kitchen" with Celebrity  Chef Chris Valdes  at Feeding Palm Beach County on Saturday, Feb. 1, from 6 to 8 p.m. The event, presented by  Sysco , will feature a cooking class, wine tasting, decadent desserts, raffles and live entertainment to support Feeding South Florida’s mission to end hunger in South Florida. Chris Valdes   Guests will enjoy an immersive cooking class led by renowned Chef Valdes, a Miami-born and raised chef, actor, philanthropist, celebrity caterer and cookbook author of "One with The Kitchen." Chef Valdes has been featured on Food Network, Good Morning America, LIVE with Kelly and Ryan, The Sherri Show, Access Hollywood, and co-hosted Roku's "Que Delicioso!"   Currently, in South Florida, there are over 1.2 million food insecure individuals, and one in nine individuals in South Florida remain uncertain about where they will get their next meal due to inflation, the strained supply chain, rising fuel prices and increased housing costs, among other factors.    All proceeds raised from the event will allow Feeding South Florida to fulfill its mission to end hunger in South Florida by providing immediate access to nutritious food, leading hunger and poverty advocacy efforts, and transforming lives through innovative programming and education.   For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit:  feedingsouthflorida.org/loveinthekitchen ML Staff. Photos courtesy of Feeding South Florida and Chef Chris Valdes

Ana Teresa Rodriguez, founder and CEO of ATR Luxury Homes Group at Coldwell Banker Realty, is pleased to list the lower penthouse 66 at Four Seasons Residences Brickell in Miami for $13.5 million. The residence is located at 1425 Brickell Ave., #66E, Miami, FL 33131, in Brickell.   The residence is the only fully renovated unit in Four Seasons Residences Brickell, and comes fully furnished, offering a truly turnkey  luxury lifestyle experience. The master plan of the residence was led by  Rodriguez’s  ATR Concepts team, in cooperation with the interior design by Adriana Hoyos of AHC Group and construction by HEICA Construction and Mobius Architecture Group.   The 4,470-square-foot bright and airy contemporary unit features four bedrooms and four and one-half bathrooms. It encompasses two units, featuring sweeping ocean and city skyline views from every room. Luxurious finishes include Bianco Ondulato marble floors and a fully equipped Ornare-designed kitchen with stainless steel appliances. In addition, the residence features impact-resistant windows, a spa-like principal bathroom with soaking tubs and glass-enclosed showers, and private terraces.   Four Seasons Residences is an ultra-luxury 70-story condo-hotel tower situated in the heart of the Brickell Financial District of Miami. Amenities include an expansive 2-acre sun deck featuring lush landscaping, hammock gardens, heated swimming pool, kids’ pool, lounge chairs and whirlpool, poolside dining, two restaurants, on-site boutique, business center, 50,000-square-foot Equinox fitness club offering group fitness classes and personal training and an Equinox full-service spa offering a variety of health and beauty treatments.    The building’s top-notch services include personalized concierge services, 24-hour in-room dining, 24-hour security, 24-hour valet parking, laundry/dry-cleaning services, activities for kids and housekeeping services.    “The Four Seasons brand is the ultimate in luxury, offering 5-star amenities and services,” said Rodriguez. “This unique, completely remodeled lower penthouse’s exquisite finishes, the amazing location and incredible views from every angle make it a wonderful choice for the right luxury buyer – one looking for a bigger and more luxurious residence in  the alluring  Brickell neighborhood.” For more information, please visit  atrluxuryhomes.com  or call (786) 723-6041. ML Staff. Photo credit - Unihouse Production | ATR Luxury Homes Group

Art Basel Miami Beach 2024 concluded with robust sales across all sectors, signaling a positive trajectory for the global art market. The fair featured 286 galleries from 38 countries, with two-thirds hailing from the Americas, and attracted over 75,000 visitors, including private collectors, museum directors, and art enthusiasts worldwide. Untitled (2014) by David Hammons sold for $4.75 million at Hauser & Wirth. The Hauser & Wirth gallery at Art Basel, including David Hammons' "Untitled" (right). Courtesy of Art Basel Harbor Nurse (2003) by Richard Prince sold for $4.5 million at Gladstone. Richard Prince 'Harbor Nurse' (2003); © Richard Prince. Courtesy of Art Basel. Infinity Nets (2017) by Yayoi Kusama sold for $3.5 million at David Zwirner. Yayoi Kusama, Infinity Nets, 2017, acrylic on canvas. Courtesy of David Zwirner. Dresdner Frauen – Die Elbe (1990/2023) by Georg Baselitz sold for approximately $2.64 million at Thaddaeus Ropac. Georg Baselitz, 'Dresdner Frauen – Die Elbe', 1990/2023. Courtesy of Georg Baselitz and Thaddaeus Ropac. Female Portrait Abstraction (2024) by George Condo sold for $2.5 million at Hauser & Wirth. George Condo Female Portrait Abstraction 2024 Pastel and acrylic on linen 198.1 x 190.5 cm / 78 x 75 in © George Condo Courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth Photo: Sarah Muehlbauer Rock Head (2000) by David Hammons sold for $2.35 million at White Cube. David Hammons, 'Rock Head' (2000) © 2025 David Hammons / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York Everglade (Borealis) (1990) by Robert Rauschenberg sold for $2.3 million at Thaddaeus Ropac. Robert Rauschenberg Everglade (Borealis), 1990. 245.7 x 184.8 cm (96.75 x 72.75 in). Courtesy of Thaddaeus Ropac. Hauser and Wirth $1.4M: Ed Clark, Untitled (1986) $1M: Ed Clark, Untitled (1986–87) $795K: Charles Gaines, Numbers and Trees: Tanzania Series 1, Baobab, Tree #4, Maasai (2024) $750K: Rashid Johnson, Soul Painting “Honey” (2024) $750K: Christina Quarles, And I Moon (2024) $585K: William Kentridge, Goat (2021) $575K: Avery Singer, Untitled (2024) $500K: Jeffrey Gibson, I Can Hear You (2024) $200K: Catherine Goodman, Scarlet Shig (2023) $175K: Allison Katz, Big Cat (2024) $160K: María Berrío, Distant Gods and Aging Suns (2024) Gladstone Gallery $2M: Keith Haring, Untitled (1984) $1.5M: Jean Dubuffet, Ji la grosse tête (1971) $750K: Alex Katz, Olivia 3 (2024) $750K: Wangechi Mutu, Nyoka (2022) $700K: Elizabeth Peyton, Two Cats (Hydra) (2009) $600K: Carroll Dunham, Once I Land on Mars (Copied from Grace) (1999) $190K: Ugo Rondinone, fünfzehnternovemberzweitausendvierundzwanzig (2024) David Zwirner $2M: Noah Davis painting $1.4M: Lisa Yuskavage painting $1.1M: Elizabeth Peyton painting $900K: Elizabeth Peyton painting $600K–$800K: Two Josef Albers paintings, each $600K: Lisa Yuskavage painting $500K: Wolfgang Tillmans abstract photograph $400K: Oscar Murillo painting Thaddaeus Ropac $1.27M: Georg Baselitz, Die Seine, die Seine, die Seine (2023) $1.1M: Sturtevant, Flag after Jasper Johns (1967) $750K: Andy Warhol, Hammer and Sickle (1976) $627.6K: Antony Gormley, SUSPECT (2024) $350K: David Salle, New Pastoral, Floral Dress (2024) White Cube $1.15M: Christine Ay Tjoe, Mischievous Player (2016) $800K: Lynne Drexler, Tribute (1963) $725K: Lynne Drexler, Final Flowers (1963) $627.6K: Antony Gormley, OPEN STRESS II (2023) $525K: Julie Mehretu, Untitled (1999) $450K: Sylvia Snowden, Clarene Martin (1978–82) $175K: Ilana Savdie, Revenge Fantasies (2024) Kasmin $1.5M: Mark Ryden, Regina Terra (#179) (2024) $735.7K: Claude and François-Xavier Lalanne, Centaure (moyen) (1995/2008) $443.98K: François-Xavier Lalanne, Requin (petit) (2003/2011) Pace Gallery $1M: Sam Gilliam, Whispering Wind (1972) $900K: Lee Ufan, Response (2024) $550K: Robert Longo, Untitled (Othello) (2024) $450K: Emily Kam Kngwarray, Untitled (1992) By ML Staff.

Comprising 63 horological complications and 2,877 components, it surpasses the record already held by the Maison with Reference 57260. This world-first timepiece is distinguished by the fact that it features a genuine Chinese perpetual calendar. Given the particularities of this lunisolar calendar characterised by a complex and irregular cycle, the mechanical programming of in-house Calibre 3752 through to 2200 is a feat of horological genius. Stemming from 11 years of development, including a year entirely devoted to its assembly, Les Cabinotiers - The Berkley Grand Complication is a milestone in contemporary watchmaking history. Similar in design to the Reference 57260 presented in 2015, Les Cabinotiers - The Berkley Grand Complication was born from the will of the same commissioner who has chosen to give it his name. I. VACHERON CONSTANTIN AT THE PINNACLE OF THE ART OF WATCHMAKING Creating the most complicated watch ever made is an art that Vacheron Constantin has cultivated since its origins in 1755. More than two and a half centuries of history have forged the character of a Maison whose underlying motivation is to constantly push the limits of feasibility. Les Cabinotiers - The Berkley Grand Complication is yet another demonstration of this approach. This timepiece with its 63 complications represents a technical feat that is further enhanced by its restrained, elegant aesthetic and impeccable level of finishing. It took the three watchmakers 11 years of development and a wealth of ingenuity to bring this horological marvel to fruition. The movement assembly alone was spread over 12 months, notably including a trial assembly – before the decorative finishing of the components – to ensure it ran smoothly. ·  An unprecedented total of 63 horological complications Double-sided Calibre 3752 comprises 2,877 components, 245 jewels, 31 hands and 9 discs. Complications covering the entire horological spectrum have been integrated into this calibre in their most accomplished form. The chronograph features a split-seconds function; the phases of the moons are extremely accurate, requiring no correction in 1,027 years; the Gregorian perpetual calendar is presented in accordance with the ISO 8601 standard; the small seconds are the retrograde kind, with compensation for the time required for the hand to jump back; the tourbillon has three rotational axes; the sky chart rotates according to the sidereal day (23h, 56m, 4.09s); the day/night indicator of the second time zone is engraved with an azimuthal polar projection providing an original geographical perspective The 63 complications in this timepiece encompass the following categories :   Time measurement and regulation: 9 complications Gregorian perpetual calendar: 7 complications Chinese perpetual calendar: 11 complications  Chinese agricultural perpetual calendar: 2 complications Astronomical indications: 9 complications Split-seconds chronograph: 4 complications Alarm functions: 7 complications Grande Sonnerie: 8 complications Additional functions: 6 complications II. THE FIRST CHINESE PERPETUAL CALENDAR With the alternation of day and night, the cycle of the seasons and that of the Sun and Moon, humankind became aware of the concept of time at a very early stage. It was however not until the advent of writing – in the fourth millennium BCE in the West and the second millennium BCE in China – that time became predictive. From then on, calculations based on astronomical observations could be used to develop a calendar. The ancients developed several calendar systems, based on the lunar months (Hegirian calendar), the solar year (Gregorian calendar) or a combination of the two, meaning lunisolar calendars incorporating the adjustments required to make them coincide. The Chinese calendar – like those of the Greeks, Hebrews and Celts – falls into the latter category. · A complex and irregular system Chinese calendar months are lunar and begin on the day of the new moon calculated on the 120th meridian east (UTC +8h) passing through the Shandong peninsula and the city of Hangzhou. In order to respect the average length of a lunation (29.53 days), they irregularly comprise either 29 or 30 days. In total, however, the 12 lunar months are 11 days shorter than a solar year (365.2422 days). For this reason, the Chinese calendar incorporates a 13th intercalary or embolismic month every two to three years, corresponding to seven times over the Metonic cycle. The latter – named after the Greek astronomer Meton (5th century BCE) – refers to the 235 lunations occurring over 19 tropical years, at the end of which the two systems (lunar and solar) are perfectly synchronised (i.e. 6,940 days). Depending on the lunations, the common Chinese year can therefore have 353, 354 or 355 days and the embolismic year 383, 384 or 385 days. The other factor to be considered is the Chinese New Year of which the date marks the start of the lunar year yet fluctuates between 21 January and 21 February. The solar year in the Chinese calendar is a true tropical year, calculated on the same meridian (120th meridian east) between two winter solstices. It is divided into 24 periods of 15° each on the Sun’s path along the ecliptic (the Sun’s apparent annual path as seen from Earth). Each period, alternately known as  jie  (node) and  qi  (vital breath), lasts around 15 days, giving an average duration that fairly regularly corresponds to the Gregorian calendar, i.e. a year of 365 or 366 days.  Another feature of the Chinese calendar is that the units of time are numbered based on the association of two series of signs – 10 celestial stems and 12 earthly branches – yielding a possible total of 60 different combinations. This so-called sexagesimal cycle is most often used to mark the passing of years, but can also be applied to months, days or hours. The stems are also associated with the five elements (wood, fire, earth, metal, water) and with a polarity (yin, the feminine principle; or yang, the masculine principle). The branches are also represented by the 12 signs of the Chinese zodiac in the following sequence: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. At each stage of the calendar, the number of the stem and the number of the branch is incremented by one to create a cycle of 60 combinations corresponding to the lowest common multiple of 10 stems and 12 branches or animals of the zodiac. Lunisolar calendars play on complementarity. The system requires knowledge of the solar calendar to establish the dates of the leap moons and the beginning of the lunar years in order to achieve perfect synchronisation. Such was the aim of the Chinese, who ceaselessly improved their calendar so that it would reflect the reality of astronomical phenomena as closely as possible. The resulting accuracy is however a complexifying factor when it comes to modelling a system that is essentially characterised by its irregularity. While it is possible to program the calculation of the Chinese calendar since 1645 using analytical theories, as scientists have done, obtaining a concrete mechanical application represented an unfathomable challenge. ·A world first The main innovation of Les Cabinotiers - The Berkley Grand Complication is its traditional Chinese calendar. It is the first watch to present it in the form of a perpetual calendar, with all the calculations, patience, ingenuity and understanding of Chinese culture that this implies. In concrete terms, the three watchmakers first had to model the calendar in algorithms. They then worked on transcribing them into a mechanism programmed until the year 2200 and capable of following the irregularities of a calendar whose years and lunar months have different durations on an irregular sequential basis, with a fluctuating first day of the year. To achieve this, they devised three mechanical 'brains' capable of controlling the cams and gears on one of the movement’s two additional mechanisms on the front side. Broadly speaking, each of them "drives" one of the calendar's components: namely the lunar cycle, the solar cycle and the Metonic cycle. This latter cycle of 19 years – known as the golden numbers – can be read off on the 3 o'clock counter. In addition to this feat of a watch programmed until the year 2200, Vacheron Constantin’s watchmakers went so far as to offer a disc-type display of the exact – yet by definition variable – date of the Chinese New Year. This in itself represents another major accomplishment, as this key date in the nation’s social life fluctuates continuously between January 21 and February 21. The front of the watch is essentially devoted to the various indications of the traditional Chinese calendar. To find one’s bearings, one must first determine whether the current year is normal or embolismic (aperture at 11 o'clock) and whether the month is a short or long lunar month (aperture at 12 o'clock on the fixed New Year disc). This perpetual calendar bearing indications in Chinese characters includes a pointer-type date display on a 6 o'clock counter, along with aperture-type indications of the day at 8 o’clock and the month at 4 o’clock.Les Cabinotiers - The Berkley Grand Complication also indicates an unprecedented amount of information linked to the sexagesimal cycle, the keystone of the Chinese calendar and indeed of the entire Chinese cosmological model. This feat was rendered all the more impressive by the fact that the information shown relates to different time scales: the hour, the day and the year. Vacheron Constantin's watchmakers have integrated a jumping display of the 10 celestial stems, with their yin-yang polarity and associated elements (9 o'clock counter) for the day. The 3 o'clock counter shows the 12 earthly branches associated with the double hours, each day being subdivided into 12 two-hour segments, starting at 11 o'clock. The display here is continuous, over a 24-hour period. Finally, the silhouette of the Chinese zodiac animal for the current year appears in an aperture positioned below the moon phases. The combination of the animal and the celestial stem suggested on the New Year's disc gives the position within the sexagesimal cycle. As an essential complement to this Chinese perpetual calendar, the precision phases and age of the moon appear on the 12 o'clock counter, with no need for corrections over a full 1,027 years.The final feature of this Chinese perpetual calendar is the caseback-side display – by a central hand – of the agricultural year’s 24 solar periods, along with the month lengths, seasons, solstices and equinoxes. III. A HIGH-PRECISION ASTRONOMICAL AND CHIMING WATCH Vacheron Constantin’s watchmakers did their utmost to incorporate the full range of horology’s noblest complications into this watch, be they in the realm of astronomical and chiming functions, as well as useful complications in terms of chronometry, alarms and time zones – all governed by a determination to achieve very high precision. · Astronomical indications and Gregorian calendars An astronomical watch par excellence, Les Cabinotiers - The Berkley Grand Complication also explores the vagaries of the Gregorian calendar. The latter is designed on a perpetual basis, i.e. until 2100, a non-leap secular year following the reform of the Julian calendar called for by the Council of Trent in 1582. Implemented by Pope Gregory XIII, this reform consisted of deleting 10 days to re-establish coincidence with the seasons. To avoid any further calendar drift, the decision was taken to eliminate three leap years in four centuries. Only those secular years whose year is divisible by 400 would remain leap years. The Gregorian perpetual calendar is displayed on the watch’s second face, built on one of the movement’s two additional caseback-side mechanisms. The display comprises a retrograde date at 12 o'clock, complemented by the day of the week (9 o'clock counter), the month (3 o'clock counter) and the leap-year cycle (1 o'clock aperture). The Gregorian calendar has also served as the basis for another type of indication: since 1988, to avoid any confusion in international communications, the ISO 8601 standard has formalized numerical date formats for years (4 digits), months (1 to 12), weeks (1 to 52) and days (1 to 31 or 1 to 7). Les Cabinotiers - The Berkley Grand Complication thus incorporates the ISO 8601 calendar-week numeral pointed to by a hand (3 o'clock counter) with the day numeral in an aperture positioned above it. The watch's astronomical references are not confined to calendars. Also visible on the back – fitted on this side of the movement’s second additional mechanism – is a sky chart with the constellations appearing in real time as observed from Shanghai. For the sake of accuracy, this celestial disc makes one complete rotation in one sidereal day. Using a fixed star in the sky as a reference point, the time taken for the Earth to complete a full 360° rotation (sidereal day) is exactly 23 hours 56 minutes and 4 seconds. As the Earth both spins on its axis and revolves around the Sun, it takes around four minutes less than an average calendar day to return to its point of departure in relation to the given star. This sidereal time – that can be read counter-clockwise on the 24-hour circle with a scale bearing 15-minute graduations – is essential for correctly adjusting the sky chart. The map is marked with an off-centre ellipse to highlight the exact position of the constellations in the Northern Hemisphere at the time the watch is checked. The equation of time completes the watch’s astronomical indications. Given that the Earth's path around the Sun is not circular but elliptical and that the Earth's axis is inclined at a 24° angle to the plane of its orbit, the time between two solar zenith passages is not the same throughout the year. This difference between the (true) solar day and the (mean) 24-hour civil day ranges from -16 to +14 minutes depending on the time of year and is equivalent to zero just four times a year at the solstices and equinoxes. This information known as the equation of time – or time correction in astronomical parlance – is obtained by means of a cam that controls the display of this time differential. As well as marking the passage of the seasons, this revolution of the Earth around the Sun also determines the length of the day and night phases. Two counters (5 o'clock and 7 o'clock) display sunrise and sunset times, along with the length of day and night, consistently calculated with Shanghai as the geographical location. · Grande Sonnerie and alarms Grande Sonnerie timepieces are in a class of their own among musical timepieces because of their extreme complexity. Mastery of these watches which strike the hour and quarters in passing – with the hour repeating before each quarter in Grande Sonnerie mode and without repeating in Petite Sonnerie mode – has quite logically not become widespread given the high demands placed on the design of the strikework integrated into the movement. These range from the mechanism’s safety features to the musicality of the sound sequences, not to mention energy management given the 912 hammer strikes in 24 hours. The world of chiming watches has been part of Vacheron Constantin's expertise since the very beginning, as evidenced by an order dating back to 1806 and referenced in the Maison’s archives. The Vacheron Constantin watchmakers were keen to equip Calibre 3752 with a Grande Sonnerie mechanism featuring a Westminster carillon. This chimes the tune sounded by the bells of Big Ben – on London’s Tower of Parliament – in four bars of four notes played at different frequencies, punctuated by a fifth note for the hours. A total of five hammers and five gongs compose this chime, which can be heard at any time by activating the minute repeater lever positioned on the case middle at 6 o'clock. In "Striking" mode (as shown by a pointer-type selector at 10 o'clock on the front), the watch is automatically activated upon each passing of a new quarter-hour, like a clock. In "Night" mode, the alarm is deactivated between 10pm and 8am, according to a time slot chosen by the customer, to save energy as well as to ensure peace and quiet at night. The last mode dubbed "Silence" suspends the strikework completely. A second selector coaxial with the first enables one to switch from Grande Sonnerie to Petite Sonnerie mode, as desired. This strikework has its own barrel with a pointer-type power-reserve display at 9 o'clock. The watch’s striking mechanism is complemented by an alarm.  Activated by a dedicated slide on the case middle at 1 o'clock, it is set by the crown, with the alarm time displayed by an hours hand coaxial with the one showing the watch time (at 12 o'clock on the front). It has its own energy reserve with a dedicated barrel that is set by a movable crown housed in the case middle at 5 o'clock, another of the watch's technical subtleties. The alarm torque is displayed by a hand on the same counter as the mode indicator (1 o'clock on the front). In "Normal" position, the alarm sounds progressively on a dedicated gong with a different tone struck by a sixth hammer. In "Carillon" position, the alarm activates the Big Ben chime and sounds in Grande or Petite Sonnerie mode. For mechanical safety reasons, both the Grande Sonnerie mechanism and the alarm mechanism have a system for blocking the striking when the power reserve of their respective barrels is exhausted. ·  Triple-axis tourbillon regulator This addition of astronomical and chiming complications should not detract from the watch's primary function, which is to display the time – or better still, to display the time in several time zones and even to measure short times. Les Cabinotiers - The Berkley Grand Complication fulfils all these functions with chronometric precision. The watchmakers devoted particular attention to the escapement and regulation system that controls the sequencing of the energy chain and, consequently, the precision of the gear train. As a result, they developed a triple-axis armillary tourbillon regulator, operating at a frequency of 2.5 Hz (18,000 vibrations per hour) and fitted with a spherical balance-spring. The name "armillary" refers to the work of Antide Janvier (1751-1835), astronomer and watchmaker by appointment to King Louis XVI, one of whose greatest masterpieces was the creation of a moving sphere featuring an armillary planetary gear system. With this type of construction, the escapement housed at the heart of the tourbillon takes up every different position in order to cancel out the effects of Earth’s gravity on the movement’s isochronism, which makes perfect sense for a pocket watch worn in a fixed position. This is further enhanced by the presence of a spherical balance-spring, whose performance is superior to that of flat balance-springs. The result is an extraordinary mechanical ballet visible on the back of the watch, with a tourbillon carriage of which the constantly rotating elements form Vacheron Constantin’s Maltese cross emblem every 15 seconds. The result is also a high degree of precision in the operation of the complications, a feat in itself given the complexity of Calibre 3752. · Precision display and split-seconds chronograph The time display is of the regulator type, with day/night indicators (1 o'clock on the front) and a 60-hour power reserve (3 o'clock). Historically, the precision clocks used to set watches in watchmaking workshops offered this type of dissociative display. In this model, the hours hand (12 o'clock counter on the front) is separate from the central minutes hand and the seconds hand (6 o'clock counter). To enhance this display, the watchmakers at Les Cabinotiers devised a retrograde seconds hand. Moreover, since this watch is clearly subject to the requirements of high precision, they have equipped this retrograde mechanism with a sophisticated technical solution consisting of adding two cams to the mechanism in order to compensate for the time it takes for the seconds hand to return to the "0" position. The watch's chronograph, accurate to the nearest fifth of a second thanks to the movement's 2.5 Hz cadence, features a split-seconds function. This enables intermediate (split) times to be measured by stopping the second central sweep-seconds hand, which "catches up" (hence the French name  rattrapante ) with the first one – and thus with the elapsed time – once it is restarted. To differentiate it from the Reference 57260 watch, which has a chronograph with two retrograde seconds hands, the watchmakers have opted for a more 'classic' configuration, with both seconds hands moving in the same rotational direction. Integrated into the movement's second additional mechanism on the front, this chronograph is controlled by three column-wheels and a horizontal clutch via the pushpiece housed in the crown. The pusher embedded in the case middle at 11 o'clock is used to restart the split-seconds hand. The chronograph hours and minutes are indicated by hands on their respective counters at 3 o'clock (hours) and 9 o'clock (minutes) with a silver-toned colour code. On the front, the time indications appear in blue, while the Chinese calendar displays and the various chime functions are distinguished by golden tones. · Second time zone and world time Astronomical yet also travel-friendly, the watch displays world time, a function visible on the back. A 10 o'clock aperture enables the wearer to select one of the 24 cities corresponding to the 24 time zones into which the Earth has been divided since the 1884 International Meridian Conference held in Washington. The city symbol appears with the time differential in relation to the Greenwich meridian, such as N.Y. GMT -5. Below, the 9 o'clock counter shows the hours and minutes over a 12-hour period in a second time zone, with the corresponding day/night indication at 11 o'clock. On closer inspection, the rotating disc used to distinguish between day and night is engraved with a polar azimuthal projection of the Northern Hemisphere. This makes it possible to see the Earth's global sunshine duration from a geographical point located in this second time zone. ·  Finishing and hand decorations While Les Cabinotiers - The Berkley Grand Complication required years of development due to its sheer complexity, one must not overlook within this cycle the time devoted to decorating and finishing the 2,877 components, including the invisible convolutions of the mechanism, not to mention the case. This perfectly elegant 18K white gold case features polished bezels on both sides. The winding crown is complemented by an aperture on the case middle, protected by a sapphire crystal, providing a view of the crown’s position when winding or setting the timepiece. On the front, the dial is composed of four subdials featuring different types of finish: opaline silver-toned on the main dial and sunburst on the auxiliary dials. The dial on the back of the watch features the same opaline hue. Equal care was devoted to the movement, whose golden colour on a frosted base adorned with a Côtes de Genève motif on the reverse is a challenge in itself, as the slightest mishandling of the decorated components leaves indelible marks. The watchmakers in charge of assembling the timepiece – and who also did most of the decoration – therefore had to be extremely meticulous. The result is a watch whose complexity contributes to its overall elegance and harmony. IV. A HUMAN ADVENTURE Comprising 63 horological complications, Les Cabinotiers - The Berkley Grand Complication – a watch bearing the Hallmark of Geneva – surpasses the record already held by the Maison with Reference 57260. Between these two timepieces lies an extraordinary human adventure between a collector passionate about the great achievements of traditional watchmaking and three watchmakers from Vacheron Constantin's Les Cabinotiers department. ·  The patience and trust of a passionate enthusiast The Reference 57260 and Les Cabinotiers - The Berkley Grand Complication watches first took shape in the mind of the same commissioner, an American businessman and philanthropist who owns a prestigious collection of pocket watches that he has patiently assembled over the last 50 years. A discerning connoisseur, he loves challenges and the first one he set for the Maison was that of the most complicated watch ever made, incorporating a Hebraic perpetual calendar. This kind of challenge is one that Vacheron Constantin makes a point of taking up, having created some of the most accomplished Grand Complication watches in watchmaking history. For the three master watchmakers from the Maison’s Les Cabinotiers department in charge of the project, such a commission represented the acme of their career, as well as a path strewn with obstacles. It took no less than eight years to bring Reference 57260 – presented in 2015 – to fruition. United in complexity and in a relationship of mutual trust, the client and the three watchmakers in charge of this timepiece had found common ground, with the former’s patience strengthened by these specialists’ ingenuity. Nurtured by the client's trust in the expertise of Vacheron Constantin's watchmakers, this community of spirit led to a sequel – as even before the Reference 57260 watch was completed, its non-identical twin was commissioned. This time, instead of the Hebraic calendar, the idea was to incorporate a Chinese perpetual calendar. “ The result is a true horological masterpiece and the World’s most complicated timepiece”  commented Mr Berkley.  “It is unlikely any other Maison would have been prepared to undertake such a Herculean challenge .” · Doing better than possible The commissioner of this timepiece is clearly one of those passionate clients, such as Henry Graves Jr. or James W. Packard, who envision pushing the limits of feasibility. Appreciating challenges, they provide a Maison like Vacheron Constantin with the opportunity to progress, to question itself and to evolve. Through this timepiece and its clearly stated name, Vacheron Constantin pays a vibrant tribute to this great collector, who also owns the Vacheron Constantin pocket watch presented in 1946 to King Farouk I of Egypt. With both patience and tenacity, in keeping with the Maison’s enduring mission to always do better than possible, the same three watchmakers from its Les Cabinotiers department continued the adventure alongside the commissioner, embarking upon a new 11-year epic. Resting on their laurels was out of the question, meaning they never stopped rethinking the functions and systems of the 2015 movement with the aim of improving it, optimising it or proposing different displays. The result is Calibre 3752, a double-sided mechanical marvel comprising 2,877 components. Such optimising also implied innovating, given that no solution had ever yet been found for translating the complexity and irregularity of the Chinese calendar into cams and gears forming a perpetual horological configuration. Vacheron Constantin's three watchmakers took on this " Herculean"  task, perpetuating the Maison’s time-honoured tradition of exclusivity and expertise in the service of the most demanding watchmaking requirements. V - INTERVIEW WITH CHRISTIAN SELMONI, STYLE & HERITAGE DIRECTOR What is your overall impression of this watch? I have boundless admiration for the complexity of this timepiece, its level of finishing and its precision, given the 63 complications. It is the epitome of hyper-horology, stemming from years of effort and ingenuity. After Reference 57260, one might have thought it represented the ‘last word’ in this field. As we can see, it is possible to take demands a step further by achieving what no one has ever managed before, namely a Chinese perpetual calendar without any correction until 2200. Can you give us more details about this calendar? The three watchmakers in our Les Cabinotiers department – who worked for 11 years on this timepiece – succeeded in modelling this extremely complex calendar. By that, we mean translating it and transcribing it into algorithms that can then be applied mechanically. In concrete terms, this translates into three mechanisms – which our watchmakers like to call "brains" – that control the calendar’s different variables: its 19-year Metonic cycle; the New Year dates; its sexagesimal cycle of 60 combinations; and finally its solar agricultural cycle of one tropical year. Combining these elements results in a Chinese perpetual calendar whose difficulty lies not only in its irregularity but also in these different cycles. A veritable feat of innovation. What technical solutions are also worth highlighting? The regulator-type retrograde seconds hand is one of them. While it’s already rare to have a retrograde seconds hand on a watch, the watchmakers at Les Cabinotiers wanted it to be as accurate as possible. This meant compensating for the time taken for the seconds hand to return to its initial position. They achieved this by adding two extra cams to the mechanism. The "Night" function of the Grande Sonnerie is another. This mode suspends the alarm at night for a period of time of the customer's choosing, a novel feature. Among the many other technical developments, the triple-axis armillary tourbillon deserves a special mention. Although it was already present in Reference 57260, it nonetheless represents a mechanical feat and makes perfect sense in the case of a pocket-watch which is by definition worn in a single position. You mentioned the level of finishing applied to the calibre. Could you elaborate? Hand finishing of movement components is one of the signature features of High Watchmaking and of Vacheron Constantin in particular, with techniques adapted to all the different types of surface: bevelling, rounding off, circular-graining, straight-graining, etc. While such operations already require perfectly mastered expertise for a simple movement comprising some 150 components, one can imagine what it represents with 2,877 components! What's more, this work goes completely unnoticed because this double-sided watch has no openwork on the movement apart from the tourbillon aperture. It is only when you open the watch that you realise the scale of the task. What's more, the three watchmakers who worked on this timepiece and produced most of the decoration did not take the easy way out. In fact, the calibre has a sand-blasted frosted finish that leaves no room for mistakes, as any untimely handling leaves indelible traces. It’s therefore easy to see why this watch took a whole year to assemble. You also mentioned precision? This timepiece does not claim to be a chronometer, as it has not been tested by the Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC). In-house tests nonetheless showed that Les Cabinotiers - The Berkley Grand Complication has a precision that exceeds COSC requirements, with a daily tolerance margin of -4 to +6 seconds. It is worth recalling in this context that this timepiece bears the Hallmark of Geneva, a guarantee of provenance, craftsmanship, reliability, expertise and precision. The Hallmark’s criteria stipulate that the rate of the watch must vary by no more than one minute after seven days and this watch is well below this mark – which is quite remarkable, given its complexity. VI. THE CHINESE CALENDAR FROM ITS ORIGINS TO THE PRESENT · A time-honoured dating system According to legend, Chinese astronomy dates back to the 61st year of the reign of the Yellow Emperor (Huangdi), i.e. 2637 BCE. This legendary monarch is said to have invented the Chinese calendar, which has been an attribute of emperors' sovereignty ever since. Emperors inaugurated their reigns with a new calendar, often different from the previous one. For practical reasons, historians had to devise a chronology based on a single origin, dating back to the reign of Huangdi.The last alteration to the traditional Chinese calendar as we know it today goes back to the work of the Jesuit Adam Schall von Bell, Imperial court astronomer in Peking (now Beijing). In 1645, he incorporated his latest observations – true solar time – into the combination of a solar (agricultural) calendar and a lunar (civil) calendar representing the Chinese system. While China adopted the Gregorian calendar in 1912 and the Common Era in 1929, the traditional calendar still serves as the unavoidable benchmark for festivals celebrated throughout the country. ·The principles behind the Chinese lunisolar calendar The 12 months are lunar. They begin on the day of the new moon and have 29 or 30 days to respect the average length of a lunation, which is 29.53 days. The 11 days missing from the solar year are made up by means of an intercalary or embolic 13th lunar month every 2-3 years, i.e. 7 times in a 19-year cycle. The solar 'periods' of the year correspond to 24 divisions of 15° each on the Sun's path along the ecliptic. Each period lasts about 15 days, giving an average duration that corresponds to the Gregorian calendar. The solar year begins at the winter solstice and has 365 or 366 days. The lunar year begins on the Chinese New Year – between 21 January and 21 February. Depending on the lunation, there are 353, 354 or 355 days in common years and 383, 384 or 385 days in embolismic years. The Chinese lunisolar calendar follows a 60-year sexagesimal cycle, composed of successive combinations of 10 celestial stems, associated with the five elements (wood, fire, earth, metal, water), and 12 earthly branches, associated with an animal: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. VII. VACHERON CONSTANTIN'S MASTERY OF GRAND COMPLICATIONS At Vacheron Constantin, creating complicated watches for the most renowned clients is a tradition.Three of the most extraordinary watches of their time became precious possessions of two Egyptian kings – Fouad 1 and his son Farouk – and Count Guy de Boisrouvray. A fourth equally remarkable one was made to the specifications of the great collector James Ward Packard.   James Ward Packard (1918) This 20K gold chiming pocket watch made its mark on the history of High Watchmaking. It includes a quarter and half-quarter repeater with Grande and Petite Sonnerie as well as a single-counter chronograph. Founder of the Packard Motor Company, James Ward Packard commissioned and acquired it in 1918.   King Fouad 1 of Egypt (1929) This large, highly complicated 18K yellow gold and enamel pocket watch is a chiming watch featuring a minute-repeater with Grande and Petite Sonnerie, equipped with three gongs and three hammers, as well as a split-seconds chronograph with a 30-minute counter, perpetual calendar and indication of the phases and age of the moon. It was presented to His Majesty King Fouad 1 of Egypt by the Swiss expatriate community in 1929.    King Farouk 1 of Egypt (1946) This extremely complex, very large 18K yellow gold pocket watch is a chiming model. It includes a minute-repeater with Grande and Petite Sonnerie, equipped with three gongs and three hammers, a split-seconds chronograph with a 30-minute counter, perpetual calendar, indication of the phases and age of the moon, alarm and two power-reserve indicators. It was presented to King Farouk I of Egypt by the Swiss authorities in 1946 and surpasses its predecessor in terms of complexity.   Count Guy de Boisrouvray (1948) This pocket-watch with its large 18K gold hunter-type case includes a minute-repeater with three hammers striking three gongs, along with a perpetual calendar with leap-year and moon-phase indications, split-seconds single-counter chronograph and alarm. It was sold to Count Guy de Boisrouvray in 1948. Reference 57260 (2015) Reference 57260 is a   horological masterpiece uniting previously unimaginable technical complications. Eight years of development went into creating this timepiece. The watch is an entirely original creation with a total of 57 complications, including several unprecedented ones such as the first Hebraic perpetual calendar. VIII. Complications List Time measurement (9) 1.      Regulator-type hours, minutes and seconds for mean solar time 2.      Retrograde second for mean solar time 3.      Day and night indication for reference city 4.      Visible spherical armillary tourbillon regulator with spherical balance spring 5.      Armillary sphere tourbillon 6.      World time indication for 24 cities 7.      Second time zone hours and minutes (on 12 hours display) 8.      Second time zone day and night indication 9.      System to display the second time zone for the Northern or Southern hemispheres  Gregorian Perpetual Calendar (7) 10.   Gregorian perpetual calendar 11.   Gregorian days of the week 12.   Gregorian months 13.   Gregorian retrograde date    14.   Leap-year indication and four-year cycle 15.   Number of the day of the week (ISO 8601 calendar) 16.   Indication for the number of the week within the year (ISO 8601 calendar) Chinese Perpetual Calendar (11) 17.      Chinese perpetual calendar 18.      Chinese number of the day 19.      Chinese name of the month 20.      Chinese date indication 21.      Chinese zodiac signs 22.      5 elements and 10 celestial stems 23.      12 earthly branches 24.      Chinese year state (common or embolismic) 25.      Month state (small or large) 26.      Indication for the Golden number within the 19-year Metonic cycle 27.      Indication for the date of the Chinese New Year in the Gregorian calendar Chinese Agricultural Perpetual Calendar (2) 28.      Chinese agricultural perpetual calendar 29.      Indications of seasons, equinoxes and solstices with solar hand   Astronomical Indications (9) 30.      Sky chart (calibrated for Shanghai) 31.      Sidereal hours32.      Sidereal minutes 33.      Sunrise time (calibrated for Shanghai) 34.      Sunset time (calibrated for Shanghai) 35.      Equation of time 36.      Length of the day (calibrated for Shanghai) 37.      Length of the night (calibrated for Shanghai) 38.      Phases and age of the moon, one correction every 1027 years Split-seconds Chronograph (4) 39.      Fifths of a second chronograph (1 column wheel) 40.      Fifths of a second split-second chronograph (1 column wheel) 41.      12-hour counter (1 column wheel) 42.      60-minute counter Alarm (7) 43.      Progressive alarm with single gong and hammer striking 44.      Alarm strike / silence indicator 45.      Choice of normal alarm or carillon striking alarm indicator 46.      Alarm mechanism coupled to the carillon striking mechanism 47.      Alarm striking with choice of grande or petite sonnerie 48.      Alarm power-reserve indication 49.      System to disengage the alarm barrel when fully wound Westminster Carillon (8) 50.      Carillon Westminster chiming with 5 gongs and 5 hammers 51.      Grande sonnerie passing strike 52.      Petite sonnerie passing strike 53.      Minute repeating 54.      Night silence feature (between 22.00 and 08.00 hours – hours chosen by the owner) 55.      System to disengage the striking barrel when fully wound 56.      Indication for grande or petite sonnerie modes 57.      Indication for silence / striking / night modes Additional features (6) 58.      Power-reserve indication for the going train 59.      Power-reserve indication for the striking train 60.      Winding crown position indicator 61.      Winding system for the double barrels 62.      Hand-setting system with two positions and two directions 63.      Concealed flush-fit winding crown for the alarm mechanism ML Staff. Courtesy of Vacheron Constantin