The Quarter Millennium of Vacheron Co...

Geneva, Apr 03, 2005

LOT 127

?Tourbillon? Vacheron & Constantin, Genève, No. 464269, case No. 614921, This watch was awarded First Prize in the 1949 Neuchatel Observatory timing contest. Cased and sold in 1990. Exceptional keyless, 18K pink gold pocket chronometer with one-minute tourbillon regulator and Guil-laume balance, which obtained 922 points at the 1948 Neuchatel Observatory Timing Contest, adjusted by master adjuster Urbain Brahier. Accompanied by original leather fitted box, a Certificate of Authenticity, and a copy of the Observatory Certificate.

CHF 0 - 0

EUR 0 - 0 / USD 0 - 0

Sold: CHF 303,250

C. Three-piece, stepped bezels, double reeded band. D. Solid 18K pink gold, applied gold radial Roman numerals,engine-turned center and outermost. Gold "dauphine" hands. M. 50 mm (22???), pink gold gilt brass decoratedwith vermicelli pattern, going barrel with over-winding protection click, 20 jewels, tourbillon regulator with three-armequidistant carriage, lateral calibrated lever escapement, anibal-brass Guillaume balance with with goldtiming screws, Breguet balance spring, micrometric reguator with pin gap closing option.Dial, case and movement signed.Diam. 60 mm.


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Grading System
Grade:
Case: 2

Very good

Movement: 2

Very good

Dial: 2 - 01

Notes

The Observatory Certificate records the following results: compensation error by degree: -0.47; change of rate with change of position: 0,20. 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 ischronism. Many of these movements were kept by the company. Toward the end of the 1980s Vacheron Constantin cased a few which were sold to some of their best clients; this is one of them. Another, only two numbers apart, case No. 614923, was sold to Asprey, and was chosen to represent the company?s achievements in tourbillons in ?The World of Vacheron Constantin?, p. 231. The present watch was sold by Antiquorum New York, on December 3, 2003, lot 415.