Important Watches Online
Important Watches Online
Vacheron Constantin
A one-minute tourbillon movement with lever escapment and later custom made dial and yellow gold case | Movement 1947, No. 464270, Case and dial | Circa 1980
Lot Closed
November 10, 02:23 PM GMT
Estimate
15,000 - 25,000 CHF
Lot Details
Description
Vacheron Constantin
A one-minute tourbillon movement with lever escapment and later custom made dial and yellow gold case
Movement 1947, No. 464270, Case and dial Circa 1980
• Movement: 22''', lever escapement mounted on a one-minute tourbillon carriage with polished steel cage, Guillaume balance, signed and numbered Vacheron & Constantin, Genève, 464270
• Dial: later white enamel, Breguet numerals, blued steel hands, subsidiary seconds, bearing the signature Vacheron & Constantin Genève, no.464270
• Case: later 18ct gold plain polished case, the back with concealed hinge, glazed exhibition cuvette, 62.5 mm diameter
• Accompaniments: Extract from the Archives and black leather and suede lined Vacheron Constantin pouch
The accompanying Extract from the Vacheron Constantin Archives notes that this watch was created as a movement only and gives the year of production as 1947. Vacheron Constantin have confirmed that the case and dial of this watch were made outside of their organization and without their knowledge or involvement. It seems likely that the case and dial were produced in the late 1980s and must predate 1992 when the watch appeared at auction. A watch with similar tourbillon movement by Vacheron Constantin (numbered 464262 and also dating to 1947) is illustrated in Meis, Das Tourbillon, p.186. The summary tables within Meis's book show that the present tourbillon movement, no. 464270, was tested at the Observatories in Geneva in 1948 and Neuchâtel in 1961, the tables further note that this watch won a First Prize.