VACHERON CONSTANTIN, GENÈVE | AN EXCEPTIONALLY FINE AND RARE PLATINUM OPEN-FACED TRIPLE CALENDAR KEYLESS LEVER WATCH WITH MOON PHASES AND POWER RESERVE1929, MOVEMENT NO. 412792, CASE NO. 256481

• Movement: 17''' damascened, lever escapement, 18 jewels, bi-metallic compensation balance, signed Vacheron & Constantin, no.412792• Dial: silvered, applied Breguet numerals, pearled outer minute ring, subsidiary seconds, long aperture for day/date/month, further aperture for moon-phases with gold and blue enamel disc, combined with sector for power reserve, signed Vacheron Constantin Genève Suisse• Case: platinum, satin finished case back and band, the bezels with flat upper and scooped sides, signed Vacheron & Constantin, Switzerland and numbered 256481

DIAL : in generally good order with some oxidation spots, a couple of light scratches and areas of dust; numerals are tarnished. The signature has possibly been refreshed. CASE: With general light surface scratches MOVEMENT: running at the time of cataloguing. The calendar and moon phases are advancing with the hands, however, the adjusters can be a little sticky and the day aperture in particular does not alway advance smoothly via its pusher. Please note that the movement has not been tested for the accuracy of its timekeeping. Please note that Sotheby's does not guarantee the future working of the movement and that a service may be required at the buyer's discretion
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. All dimensions in catalogue descriptions are approximate. Condition reports may not specify mechanical replacements or imperfections to the movement, case, dial, pendulum, separate base(s) or dome. Watches in water-resistant cases have been opened to examine movements but no warranties are made that the watches are currently water-resistant. Please note that we do not guarantee the authenticity of any individual component parts, such as wheels, hands, crowns, crystals, screws, bracelets and leather bands, since subsequent repairs and restoration work may have resulted in the replacement of original parts. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue. In particular, please note it is the purchaser's responsibility to comply with any applicable import and export matters, particularly in relation to lots incorporating materials from endangered species.NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

**Please be advised that bands made of materials derived from endangered or otherwise protected species (i.e. alligator and crocodile) are not sold with the watches and are for display purposes only. We reserve the right to remove these bands prior to shipping."

Accompanied by an Extract from the Vacheron Constantin Archives confirming date of manufacture in 1929. This exceptional platinum pocket watch has a most unusual and attractive dial layout. Archive photographs demonstrate Vacheron Constantin’s experimentation with a variety of calendar displays, especially during the 1920s and 1930s when the popularity of the slim dress watch was at its height. The use of apertures rather than subsidiary dials to display the calendar is ideally suited to the refined slim dress watch style which might otherwise be overwhelmed by the addition of multiple subsidiary dials. This watch’s linear, single aperture calendar indication is highly legible and enhances the overall symmetry of design. The under-dial of the watch illustrates the superior finish of the movement and the extreme precision with which the calendar has been executed: the date wheel has been taken almost to the edge of the centre arbor and subsidiary seconds arbor, thereby ensuring that the calendar is displayed to the maximum available size. The addition of the power reserve sector to the edge of the moon-phase aperture adds another layer of complexity and rarity to this watch.

A pair of very similar watches with almost identical dial layouts are illustrated in: Lambelet, C. & Coen, L., The World of Vacheron Constantin, Editions Scriptar SA/Vacheron Constantin, pp.384 and 385 (illustration numbers 3067 & 3095). A similar example was sold in Sotheby's Geneva on 14 May 2014, lot 211.