Vacheron Constantin at Antiquorum

2005, Vacheron Constantin, the oldest manufacturer of watches in the world, celebrates its quarter millennium, its 250th anniversary. To mark this exceptional event, Antiquorum, the world’s leading auctioneer in the field of horology, is proud to announce the auction of 250 of the most rare, complicated, and most beautiful Vacheron Constantin timepieces, representative of the art of Vacheron Constantin from the late 18th century to the present day. The auction will take place on 3 April 2005, at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel du Rhône, Geneva.

The choice of monarchs since its earliest days, Vacheron Constantin timepieces, past and present, can boast a comprehensive list of nobility, high-profile world leaders, stars of the stage and screen, artists,

It was evident from the beginning that Vacheron Constantin timepieces were something special – pieces that would stand the test of time, changing fashions and the demand for ever increasing complexity and technicity in complication and design. Not surprisingly Vacheron Constantin has always built on the know-how of the place of its birth – the world’s major watch producing regions of Geneva and the Swiss Jura. This know-how includes the highly developed skills needed for working with precious metals, jewels and enamels, an eye for detailing and delicate, refined craftsmanship.

Antiquorum’s ‘Quarter Millennium of Vacheron Constantin’ thematic auction reflects this quality and breadth of vision in the superb pieces on offer in the sale: prestige pieces made specially to order and with provenances second to none – the famous Vacheron Constantin Art Deco pieces – extra thin timepieces typical of the Vacheron Constantin flair for making the impossible possible – and among other Vacheron Constantin masterpieces, skeletonized watches.

Representative of the early pieces is the supremely elegant and rare 18K gold jump hour watch with date, which was produced in 1827. With an “Empire” case and silver dial with delicate guillochis, it has an eccentric minute chapter with concentric seconds chapter, date ring at 6 and a jump hour aperture at the top. The cuvette is signed. Typical of the Art Deco pieces in the sale is a platinum, yellow gold and enamel, rectangular gentleman's wristwatch produced in 1924, which was originally retailed by J.E. Caldwell & Co.

It has geometrical blue "champlevé" enamel decoration on the bezel with a yellow gold inlay. The dial is in matte silver with luminous Arabic numerals and outer minute track. The case and movement are signed, and the dial is signed by the retailer. Of the clocks in the sale, an exceptionally beautiful, chinoiserie, Vacheron Constantin/Verger (retailed by La Cloche, Paris, circa 1925), is typical of the Vacheron Constantin ability to elegantly combine precious and semi-precious materials. An eight-day-going, diamond-set, desk clock it is in black onyx, coral, mother-of-pearl, gold and silver.

It is not surprising that a highlight of this one-day thematic sale is bound to be the exceptional King Fouad I pocket watch. This superb Vacheron Constantin pocket watch was given, in July 1929, by the colony of Swiss people living in Egypt, to King Fouad I of Egypt, to mark the occasion of his visit to Switzerland.

A remarkable 18K gold timepiece with silver dial and the Egyptian Royal family’s coat of arms enameled on the reverse, it boasts a comprehensive array of 12 complications. A split-second chronograph with 30-minute register it has a perpetual calendar, displays the date, day, month and year with full leap year cycle, moon phases, minute repeater that strikes on demand on three-gongs, grande sonnerie that strikes the hours and quarters on three-gongs and petite sonnerie which strikes the quarter hours on three-gongs.

The elaborate striking mechanism even possesses its own winding train distinct from that of the impressive 46-jewel movement. The case back displays the Egyptian royal family’s coat of arms in traditional Geneva enamel, and the inside case back is inscribed, marking the homage of the Swiss colony in Egypt. Not surprisingly the watch took three-and-a-half years to make and, even in 1929, it cost a small fortune.

Representative of the quality of the wristwatches in the sale are: a unique Vacheron Constantin 18K white gold, rectangular, astronomical, triple-calendar, moon-face, gentleman’s wristwatch retailed by Hermès, produced in 1930. The case and movement are signed, and the dial is signed by Hermès. an exceptionally rare Vacheron Constantin 18K pink gold, minute-repeating gentleman’s wristwatch, with the currently much sought-after pink gold dial, produced in 1943. The dial, case and movement are signed.

a unique large, extra-flat, minute repeating, platinum and diamond-set gentleman's wristwatch, Ref. 4261, made in 1951. The dial, case and movement are signed. Worldwide, collectors and professionals alike consider this model to be the most beautiful minute repeating wristwatch to have been made during the last 70 years. Vacheron Constantin minute-repeating wristwatches, ref 4261, were produced in a total of only 36 examples, of which only 10 were made in 1951 and an extremely rare, so-called ‘cioccolatone’, Vacheron Constantin gentleman’s astronomic wristwatch made circa 1955 in 18k gold.

Impressively large and stunningly square, it is a designer’s dream, a beautifully simple-looking watch, even though it boasts a triple-calendar and moon-face display. The dial, case and movement are signed.

Also made in 1952 is a magnificent and very rare 18K gold, astronomical, keyless, minute repeating dress watch with perpetual calendar, phases and ages of the moon, split seconds chronograph and progressive 30 minutes register, Ref. 6526. Vacheron Constantin produced only six examples of this reference numbered 511622 to 511627 this watch being No. 511622. The dial, case and movement are signed. Join the world of refined Vacheron Constantin Replica Watches.