Important Modern & Vintage Timepieces

Geneva, May 15, 2016

LOT 166

VACHERON & CONSTANTIN, POCKET CHRONOMETER WITH ONE-MINUTE TOURBILLON GENEVA OBSERVATORY GOLD Vacheron & Constantin, Genève, movemeny by Lecoultre, No. 464262. Made in 1945. Extremely rare and very important 18K gold, keyless pocket Chronometer with one minute tourbillon regulator. Accompanied by the extract of the Geneva observatory in which it participated in 1967.

CHF 50,000 - 70,000

HKD 400,000 - 570,000 / USD 52,000 - 73,000

Sold: CHF 62,500

Double-body, "bassine", polished, with concealed hinges, glazed gold cuvette. Silver with Roman numerals and subsidiary seconds. Blued steel "Breguet" hands. 22''', by Lecoultre, rhodium-plated, going barrel with over-winding protection click, 20 jewels, tourbillon regulator with three-arm equidistant carriage, lateral calibrated lever escapement, anibal-brass Guillaume balance with gold timing screws, Breguet balance spring, micrometric reguator with pin gap closing option .


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Grading System
Grade:
Case: 3-8

Good

Slightly scratched
Movement: 2*

Very good

Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense
Dial: 2-01

Very good

HANDS Original

Notes

Signed on the dial, case and movement. DIAM. 65 mm. THICKNESS 19 mm. On March 27, 1930, the HOROLOGICAL SCHOOL OF LE SENTIER registered specifications for a tourbillon regulator which was tremendously successful. VACHERON CONSTANTIN used this ebauche for their best tourbillons destined for Observatory trials. The design of this watch is very well thought-out: the arbor of the pallet fork is set outside the fourth wheel, allowing for a longer fork and facilitating manufacture. The entire carriage is very elegant, with symmetrically placed components; the escape wheel is symmetrical with the fork, the stud with the regulator base, but placed on the opposite side for equilibrium. The poising bar placed on the opposite side of the escape wheel and the fork bridge has threaded holes for poising screws similar to a compensation balance - also a very useful feature. The train from the third wheel is placed on a separate plate. The winding system, a combination of ADRIEN PHILIPPE's and LECOULTRE's rocking bar designs, creates a very stable system, eliminating the necessity for intermediate setting wheels and thus decreasing the resistance of the motion train, which has a high number of teeth to ensure smooth transmission. The regulator has a provision for closing the pin's gap, assuring a high level of isochronism. Many of these movements were kept by the company. This watch is illustrated in Reinhard Meis, Le Tourbillon, p. 186. Provenance: Crott & Schmelzer, p. 186.