The Quarter Millennium of Vacheron Co...

Geneva, Apr 03, 2005

LOT 133

?Driver?s Watch? Vacheron & Constantin, Genève, No. 399290, case No. 263610. Made in 1939. Extremely fine and rare, deeply curved, horizontal rectangular, 18K pink gold driver?s wristwatch and pink gold Vacheron Constantin buckle, designed to be worn on the inside of the wrist. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity.

CHF 20,000 - 30,000

EUR 13,000 - 20,000 / USD 17,000 - 25,000

Sold: CHF 34,500

C. Two-body, solid, polished, curved straight lugs. D. Matte silver with applied pink gold dot and Arabic hours,outer minute track. Pink gold ?épée? hands. M. Cal. R.A.8??? 15/12, baguette, rhodium plated, ?fausses côtes?decoration, 18 jewels, lever escapement, cut bimetallic balance adjusted to temperature and three positions,Breguet balance-spring.Dial, case and movement signed.Dim. 25 x 28 mm. Thickness with domed glass: 7 mm.


LOADING IMAGES
Click to full view
Image
Grading System
Grade: AAA

Excellent
Case: 3 - 11
Movement: 3*

Good

Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense
Dial: 3 - 5 - 01

Notes

The innovation and social changes that took place during the 1930s encouraged Swiss watchmakers to study the means of adapting watches to the needs of a new type of client: the automobile driver. Often wealthy and cultivated, this clientele wanted a watch that was easy to wear and use, not too large, easily legible, and that immediately identified its wearer as avant garde and fashionable. The first companies who attempted to design a watch that could be consulted without its wearer having to take his eyes off the road for too long were Cartier, Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin and Jaeger Lecoultre. The result was a watch that was worn on the inside of the wrist, could be rapidly read by the driver, and was not cumbersome . The above-mentioned companies made two types of movements: the first, like that of lot 133, had a winding crown at 3, which necessitated the development of a special rectangular movement whose winding axes were located on the end of the movement, opposite the balance. The second model, with a winding crown at 12 like lots 134 and 135, was derived from movements for the small sized watches which were fashionable at the time.