Important Collectors' Wristwatches, P...

Hong Kong, Jul 10, 2005

LOT 391

?Orient and Occident? Vacheron Constantin, Genève, "Mercator,? No. 798507, case No. 673939, Ref. 43050. Made in the 1990s. Very fine and unusual, self-winding, water-resistant to 30 meters, 18K yellow gold gentleman's wristwatch with 22K yellow gold dial representing the Continents of Europe, Africa, Australia and Asia, double sector graduated for 12 hours and 60 minutes with retrograde hands and an 18K gold Vacheron Constantin double deployant clasp. Accompanied by a fitted box and certificate.

HKD 140,000 - 180,000

EUR 14,000 - 18,000 / USD 18,000 - 23,000

C. Two-body, solid, polished, transparent case back, roundedband, stepped bezel, overhanging fluted lugs, sapphire crystals.D. 22K yellow gold dial plate engraved with the continents aswell as 2 sectors graduated from 1 to 12 for the hours and from0 to 60 for the minutes, with painted Arabic numerals andindexes. The yellow gold "dauphine" geometrical hands, in theshape of a pair of dividers reminiscent of those used by thefamous cartographer Gerardus Mercator. M. Cal. 1120, extra-flat,rhodium plated, "fausses côtes" decoration, 36 jewels,straightline lever escapement, monometallic balance adjusted to heat,cold, isochronism and 5 positions, self-compensating flat balance-spring, 21K gold-edged rotor bearing the engraving "1594Gérard Mercator - 1994.?Dial, case and movement signed.Diam. 36 mm. Thickness: 9 mm.


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Grading System
Grade: AA

Very good
Case: 2

Very good
Movement: 2

Very good
Dial: 1 - 01

Notes

The case of the "Gérard Mercator? timepieces was inspired by Vacheron Constantin?s "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. Belgian enamellers Lucie and Jean Genbrugge collaborated in the design of the mechanism to control the hour and minute hands, as well as produced dials for the ?Mercator? line of watches. The "Gérard Mercator? model was lanched by Antiquorum on the occasion of the sale ?the Art of Vacheron & Constantin? held in Geneva on November 13, 1994.