The Quarter Millennium of Vacheron Co...

Geneva, Apr 03, 2005

LOT 157

?The People?s Republic of China? Vacheron & Constantin, Genève, "Gerard Mercator 1594-1994", No. 798603, case No. 674963, Ref. 43050. Made in 1997 in a special edition to commemorate Britain?s handover of Hong Kong to China. Very fine and extremely rare, self-winding, water-resistant, 18K pink gold gentleman's wristwatch with multi-colored "cloisonné" enamel dial representing the People?s Republic of China with double retrograde sectors graduated for 12 hours and 60 minutes, with an 18K pink gold Vacheron Constantin deployant clasp. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity.

CHF 30,000 - 40,000

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

Sold: CHF 55,200

C. Two-body, solid, polished, stepped bezels with sapphire crystals, overhanging curved and fluted lugs.D. 22K gold, signed J. & L. Genbrugge and dated 1 July, 1997, with a cloisonné polychrome enamel maprepresenting Greater China, the two retrograde sectors graduated from 1 to 12 for the hours and from 0 to 60for the minutes, with painted Arabic numerals and indexes. Pink gold hands in the shape of a marine compassreminiscent of the one used by Gerard Mercator. M. Cal. K 1120, extra-thin, rhodium-plated, "fausses côtes"decoration, stamped with the Seal of Geneva, 36 jewels, straight line lever escapement, annular berylliumbalance adjusted to heat, cold, isochronism and five positions, self-compensating free-sprung flat balance-spring,21K gold rotor segment bearing the engraving ?1594 - Gerard Mercator - 1994".Dial, case and movement signed.Diam. 36 mm. Thickness: 8 mm.


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

Excellent
Case: 2

Very good
Movement: 2

Very good
Dial: 2 - 01

Notes

The case of the Gerard Mercator timepieces was inspired by the "Géographique" line launched at the end of the 1940s. The different dials of the "Mercator" watches represent the American Continent, and/or Europe, Africa, Australia and Asia and were inspired by a map drawn in 1587 by Gerardus Mercator, the famous cartographer and humanist. The dial of this lot is one of the rarest and most exclusive among the different versions. Made by Belgian enamellers Lucie and Jean Genbrugge (who also collaborated in the design of the mechanism to control the hour and minute hands), it was carefully laid out by hand with extremely fine gold thread and then enameled in many layers .This is a tedious and time consuming process, which requires highly skilled craftsmen to achieve results of this quality.