Exceptional Collectors Timepieces, Ho...

Geneva, May 15, 2005

LOT 154

?Automatic Pink Cioccolatone? Vacheron & Constantin, Genève, No. 506009, case No. 343264, Ref. 4737. Made in 1948. Extremely fine and very rare, large, square, center-seconds, self-winding, 18K pink gold gentleman?s wristwatch with an 18K pink gold Vacheron & Constantin buckle.

CHF 45,000 - 65,000

EUR 30,000 - 40,000 / USD 40,000 - 55,000

Sold: CHF 48,300

C. Two-body, curved, solid, polished, stepped bezel, rounded lugs, thick domed crystal. D. Brushed andsilvered with applied yellow gold pyramidal and triangular indexes. Pink gold "bâton" hands.M. Cal. 12??? 499 aut., rhodium plated, "fausses-côtes" decoration, 21 jewels, straight line lever escape-ment,beryllium balance with timing screws, adjusted to temperatures, shock-absorber, self-compensat-ingBreguet balance-spring, swan-neck micrometer regulator.Dial, case and movement signed.Dim. 35 x 43 mm. Thickness: 13 mm.


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Grading System
Grade: AAA

Excellent
Case: 2

Very good
Movement: 3

Good
Dial: 3 - 01

Notes

Ref. 4737 is called ?cioccolatone? by Italian collectors due to its shape. Several variatons exist, manual winding, Ref. 4822, the self-winding Ref. 4764 and 6440 with calendar and moon phases; Ref. 6440 with center-seconds; Ref. 6440Q, with date. These models are the most admired and sought-after wristwatches of the 1950s. Vacheron Constantin, always innovative, was clearly ahead of its time in offering a model so unusual in size and shape. Particularly pleasing was the rounded outline of the case, with its super-imposed ?levels?. At the time, it was made in yellow gold, more rarely in pink gold, and only two examples in white gold. It was reintroduced as of 2003 with a guilloché dial, and was launched under the name ?Toledo?, with a platinum case. For another example of this model see: Antiquorum, ?The Quarter Millennium of Vacheron Constantin?, April 3, 2005, lot 154.