Important Collectors Watches, Pocket ...

New York, Jun 18, 2008

LOT 389

Platinum Mercator Vacheron Constantin, Genève, "Gérard Mercator 1594-1994?, No. 798741, case No. 674064, Ref. 43050. Made in 1993. Very fine and unusual, self-winding, water-resistant platinum wristwatch with retrograde hands on dial with a champlevé enamel map of Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia and Antarctica, with an 18K white gold Vacheron Constantin double deployant clasp. Accompanied by the original box, certificate, and loupe.

C. Two-body, solid, polished and brushed, transparent case back with serrated edge, rounded band, stepped bezel, overhanging curved and fluted lugs, sapphire crystals. D. 22K white gold, signed J. and L. Genbrugge, representing a map in black champlevé enamel of the continents of Africa, Europe, Asia, part of Australia and Antarctica, double sectors graduated from 1 to 12 for the hours and from 0 to 60 for the minutes with painted Arabic numerals and dot indexes. The white gold hands are in the shape of a marine compass, reminiscent of the one used by famous cartographer Gerardus Mercator. M. Cal. 1120/2 extra-thin, rhodium-plated, fausses cotes decoration, 36 jewels, stamped with the Seal of Geneva quality mark, straight-line lever escapement, annular beryllium balance adjusted to heat, cold, isochronism and five positions, shock absorber, self-compensating flat balance-spring, 21K yellow gold rotor segment bearing the engraving "1594-Gérard Mercator-1994." Dial, case and movement signed. Diam. 36 mm. Thickness 9 mm.