Important Collectors' Wristwatches, P...

New York, Dec 09, 2009

LOT 266

Vacheron Constantin Minute Repeater Ref. 4261 Vacheron & Constantin, Geneve, No. 439402, case No. 276211, completed and sold in 1943. Extremely fine and rare, slim, elegant, minute-repeating, 18K pink gold wristwatch with three-tone pink dial and tear-drop lugs.

USD 180,000 - 230,000

CHF 180,000 - 230,000 / EUR 120,000 - 155,000

Sold: USD 198,000

C. Three body, solid, polished and brushed, stepped bezel, inset repeat slide to the band, teardrop lugs. D. Three-tone pink with applied pink gold baton indexes and Roman quarter-hour numerals. Pink gold baton hands. M. 13''' JMV, rhodium-plated, fausses cotes decoration, 23 jewels, straight-line lever escapement, cut bimetallic compensation balance, flat balance spring, index regulator, repeating on gongs activated by a slide on the band. Dial, case and movement signed. Diam. 36 mm. Thickness 7 mm.


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Grading System
Grade:
Case: 2

Very good

Movement: 2*

Very good

Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense

Dial: 2-7-01

Very good

Oxidized

HANDS Original

Notes

Production of Vacheron Constantin minute repeating wristwatches: 38 examples in total, in pink, yellow, white gold and platinum : -17 examples in 1942 - 9 examples in 1944 - 12 examples in 1951. This outstanding wristwatch was developped by Vacheron Constantin and Dubois-Dépraz. Collectors and professionals worldwide consider this model the most beautiful minute repeating wristwatch made in the last 50 years.
What is a Minute Repeater? A minute repeating watch tells the time both visually and audibly. A slide on the side of the case activates two hammers in the movement. These hammers strike two gongs in the case. First one hammer strikes a gong of a lower tonality to count out the hours. Then both hammers strike both gongs alternately to count out the quarter hours after the hour, and the second hammer alone strikes a higher-toned gong to count out the minutes after the quarter hour. The repeating mechanism was developed by Daniel Quare. In 1687, he patented a mechanism to sound the hours and quarter hours. The early repeaters used bells. In the late 18th century, two bent-wire gongs became the more popular mechanism.
Repeating watches allowed their owner to know the time under any circumstances: at night, or in a dark street. They also made it possible for the blind to tell time, etc. Since the early 20th century, many of the most important creators, watchmakers or manufacturers, have produced minute repeating wristwatches, always in limited editions, for the most sophisticated collectors in the world.