Important Collectors’ Wristwatches, P...

New York, Dec 07, 2005

LOT 35

?Orient and Occident? Vacheron Constantin, Genève, "Mercator,? No. 798507, case No. 673939, Ref. 43050. Made in the 1990s. Very fine and unusual, self-winding, water-resistant to 30 meters, 18K yellow gold gentleman's wristwatch with 22K yellow gold dial representing the continents of Europe, Africa, Australia and Asia, double sector graduated for 12 hours and 60 minutes with retrograde hands and an 18K gold Vacheron Constantin deployant clasp.

C. Two-body, solid, polished, transparent case back, rounded band, stepped bezel, overhanging fluted lugs, sapphire crystals. D. 22K yellow gold dial plate engraved with the continents as well as 2 sectors graduated from1 to 12 for the hours and from 0 to 60 for the minutes, with painted Arabic numerals and indexes. The yellow gold hands, in the shape of a marine compass reminiscent of the one used by the famous cartographer Gerardus Mercator. M. 12 1/2???, Cal. 1120 extra-flat (2,45 mm.), rhodium plated, "fausses côtes" decoration, 36 jewels, straightline lever escapement, monometallic balance adjusted to heat, cold, isochronism and 5 positions, self-compensating flat balance-spring, 21K gold rotor bearing the engraving "1594 Gérard Mercator - 1994.? Dial, case and movement signed. Diam. 36 mm. Thickness: 9 mm.