During the 1930s, certain Swiss watchmaking companies, such as Vacheron Constantin and Patek Philippe, sought to gain in elegance by eliminating the protuberance of the winding crown at 3. For this purpose, they used Lépine-type movements, which allowed the winding crown to be placed at 12. The fashion never caught on, however, and therefore very few of this type of watch was produced, making them extremely rare today. This particular example has been kept in exceptional condition for its age, displaying large thick lugs, a deep hallmark on the case side as well as a mint black dial, the nicest black dialled top wind we have ever offered.