Important Collectors’ Wristwatches, P...

New York, Dec 05, 2007

LOT 201

Orient and Occident Vacheron Constantin, Genève, "Mercator?, No. 798379, case No. 673866, Ref. 43050. Made in the 1990s. Very fine and unusual, self-winding, water-resistant to 30 meters, 18K yellow gold wristwatch with 22K yellow gold dial representing the continents of Europe, Africa, Australia and Asia, and double sector graduated for 12 hours and 60 minutes with retrograde hands. Accompanied by a fitted box and certificate.

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. Yellow gold hands in the shape of a marine compass reminiscent of the one used by cartographer Gerardus Mercator. M. Cal. 1120/2, extra-flat (2,45 mm.), rhodium-plated, fausses côtes decoration, 36 jewels, straight-line 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. Property of Various Owners