The Quarter Millennium of Vacheron Co...

Geneva, Apr 03, 2005

LOT 126

"Royal Prince of the House of Nassau-Luxemburg" Vacheron & Constantin, Genève,?Chronomètre?, No. 417616, case No. 258527. Made in 1934. Very fine and extremely rare 18K gold keyless, hunting-cased, minute-repeating Art Deco pocket lever chronometer with split-second chronograph and 30-minute register and tachymeter. Accompanied by the original fitted box and the certificate of Authenticity.

CHF 30,000 - 40,000

EUR 20,000 - 25,000 / USD 25,000 - 35,000

Sold: CHF 57,500

C. Five-body, ?bassine?, front engraved with the coat of arms of the Saarbrucken family, polished back, hingedgold cuvette. D. silvered, painted Arabic and baton hours, minute divisions, outer fifth second timing scale,outermost tachymeter scale, minute register at 12, subsidiary seconds. Gold ?epee? hands. M. Cal.RA 18??? 30/12,rhodium-plated, 41 jewels, straight line lever escapement, cut-bimetallic compensation balance with Breguetbalance spring, Vacheron & Constantin micrometric regulator (Patent No. 101652), repeating on gongs throughactivating slide in the band.Dial, case and movement signed.Diam. 52 mm.


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Grading System
Grade:
Case: 3

Good
Movement: 3*

Good

Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense
Dial: 3 - 01

Notes

This exceptional complicated pocket watch, of rare beauty, stands out for its high precision, it is a magnificent example of the horological mastery and technical perfection of Vacheron Constantin's master horologists. 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 belonged to a Prince of the Royal House of Nassau-Luxemburg and bears the arms of Saarbrucken, which are part of the Luxemburg Royal Arms.