The Quarter Millennium of Vacheron Co...

Geneva, Apr 03, 2005

LOT 124

Vacheron & Constantin, Genève, ?Chronomètre?, No. 408565, case No. 257375. Made in 1930. Very fine and extremely rare, keyless, slim 18K yellow gold pocket lever chronometer with split-seconds chronograph and instantaneous 30-minute register and Guillaume balance, adjusted by master adjuster Edmond Olivier. Awarded the ?Certificat de Première Classe pour pièces compliquées? from the Geneva Observatory in 1931, obtaining 685.8 points. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity and a copy of the Observatory Certificate.

CHF 15,000 - 20,000

EUR 10,000 - 13,000 / USD 13,000 - 17,000

Sold: CHF 41,400

C. Four-body, "bassine", solid, polished, gold hinged cuvette. D. White enamel with Breguet numerals, outerminute track with five-seconds/minute Arabic markers, outermost tachometer scale in red and blue, sunksubsidiary seconds, 30-minute register at 12. M. Cal. 17/19??? P.C.A.B., nickel, 27 jewels, straight line lever esca-pement,Guillaume balance with eight adjustments and gold timing screws, Breguet balance-spring with doubleovercoil, Vacheron & Constantin micrometer regulator (Patent CH 101652, registered on 1 November 1923).Dial, case and movement signed.Diam. 51 mm.


LOADING IMAGES
Click to full view
Image
Grading System
Grade:
Case: 2

Very good
Movement: 2

Very good
Dial: 2 - 01

Notes

The Observatory Certificat records the follwing results: mean error for 6 positions: 3.68; compensation error by degree: 0.078; change of rate with change of position: 1.04. The more complicated a timepiece is, the more difficult it is to adjust, particularly as concerns complications such as a chronograph, split-seconds function, and/or a register. The additional wheelwork affects the timepiece's functioning, because of the amount of energy required - but often only sporadically, when, for example, the chronograph is in use - and because of the friction to which the moving parts of the mechanism - levers, springs, etc. - are subjected. It is therefore exceptional to find a timepiece with so many complications and which were submitted to Observatory control. The present watch won the Bulletin de Marche de première classe at the Geneva Observatory. For a drawing of the patent of the micrometer regulator, see lot 121.