Dial, case and movement signed. DIAM. 36.2 mm. THICKNESS 8.5 mm. Production of Vacheron Constantin minute repeating wristwatches in the mid-20th century: ? 38 examples in total, in pink, yellow, white gold and platinum. ? 17 examples in 1942 ? 9 examples in 1944/45 The Property of the Original Owner's Family Consigned by the family of the original owner, the present watch is one of the finest examples of the legendary reference 4261 to be offered at auction. The handsome two-tone silver dial with pink gold numerals and indexes exhibits a mellow patination so prized by collectors of vintage wristwatches. Minute repeaters are considered one of the finest achievements of Vacheron Constantin's production of complicated wristwatches. Since the early 1940s until the mid 1980s, the Geneva Company made only one model of minute repeating wristwatch: the reference 4261.This outstanding wristwatch is considered by collectors and professionals worldwide as perhaps the most elegant minute repeating wristwatch made in the last 60 years. Reference 4261 was fitted with a 12''' caliber movement, generally recognisable by the subsidiary seconds, or the 13''' movement, without subsidiary seconds as in the present watch. Whereas the 12''' movement was fitted in a case with a diameter of 34 mm., the 13''' caliber was cased in a flatter and slightly larger case, measuring 36 mm. in diameter. It appears that no more than 10 examples of reference 4261 were finished with the 13''' movement (without subsidiary seconds), the majority cased in gold.