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Lot Essay
According to the Vacheron Constantin Archives, the movement of the present watch was produced in 1945 and cased in 1990. With Vacheron Constantin Extract from the Archives confirming production of the present watch in 1990.
According to our researches, only four other exceptional timepieces of this calibre have appeared in public in recent years, two in gold cases with silvered dials and two in pink gold cases with pink dials, all with different reference numbers:
-movement no. 464'269, case no. 614'921, in pink gold case, pink dial, movement manufactured in the mid-1940s, encased and sold in 1983 under ref. 2231: The Quarter Millennium of Vacheron Constantin, Antiquorum, Geneva 3 April 2005, Lot 127, CHF 303,250
-movement no. 464'271, case no. 614'923, in pink gold case, engine-turned pink gold gilt brass movement, pink dial: Movement manufactured in 1935, encased and sold to Asprey in 1990 under ref. 92243
-movement no. 464'277, case 558'108, in gold case, silvered dial, movement manufactured in 1946, encased and sold in 1983 under ref. 92231: Christie's, Geneva 10 May 2010, Lot 291, for CHF105,000
-movement no. 464'273, case 558'109, in gold case, silvered dial, movement manufactured in the mid-1940s, encased and sold in 1990 under ref. 92242: Christie's, Geneva 12 May 2014, Lot 282, for CHF173,000
-movement no. 464'268, case no. 614'924, in white gold case, silvered dial, movement manufactured in 1945, encased in 1990 under ref. 92244 - the present watch - and sold to a Vacheron Constantin representative in London in 1991.
In Switzerland, a long tradition of chronometric certification dates back to the creation of the Geneva Observatory (Observatoire de Genève) in 1772, which held its own chronometric competition from 1872 to 1968. The role of the Geneva Observatory consisted of assessing and rating Swiss timepiece movements for accuracy. Movements that passed the stringent tests were issued a certification from the observatory called a Bulletin de Marche, signed by the Directeur of the Observatory. The Bulletin de Marche stated the testing criteria, and the actual performance of the movement. A movement with a Bulletin de Marche from an observatory became known as an Observatory Chronometer, and such were issued a chronometer reference number by the Observatory.
The movement of the present Vacheron Constantin pocket watch is dated 1945. This chronometer reference number is VC 464268. This chronometer participated 19 times in the competitions of the Geneva Observatory, from 1948 to the last competition held in 1968.
In the last competition in 1968, chronometer VC 464268 was awarded 53.28 points out of a possible total of 60 points. The winner of the competition obtained 55.08 points while the chronometer which ranked last obtained 47.37 points. Chronometer VC 464268 ranked 7th place out of 15.
With its prestigious history of awards from the Geneva Observatory, the movement of this present pocket watch represents the finest expression of Swiss horological traditions.
According to our researches, only four other exceptional timepieces of this calibre have appeared in public in recent years, two in gold cases with silvered dials and two in pink gold cases with pink dials, all with different reference numbers:
-movement no. 464'269, case no. 614'921, in pink gold case, pink dial, movement manufactured in the mid-1940s, encased and sold in 1983 under ref. 2231: The Quarter Millennium of Vacheron Constantin, Antiquorum, Geneva 3 April 2005, Lot 127, CHF 303,250
-movement no. 464'271, case no. 614'923, in pink gold case, engine-turned pink gold gilt brass movement, pink dial: Movement manufactured in 1935, encased and sold to Asprey in 1990 under ref. 92243
-movement no. 464'277, case 558'108, in gold case, silvered dial, movement manufactured in 1946, encased and sold in 1983 under ref. 92231: Christie's, Geneva 10 May 2010, Lot 291, for CHF105,000
-movement no. 464'273, case 558'109, in gold case, silvered dial, movement manufactured in the mid-1940s, encased and sold in 1990 under ref. 92242: Christie's, Geneva 12 May 2014, Lot 282, for CHF173,000
-movement no. 464'268, case no. 614'924, in white gold case, silvered dial, movement manufactured in 1945, encased in 1990 under ref. 92244 - the present watch - and sold to a Vacheron Constantin representative in London in 1991.
In Switzerland, a long tradition of chronometric certification dates back to the creation of the Geneva Observatory (Observatoire de Genève) in 1772, which held its own chronometric competition from 1872 to 1968. The role of the Geneva Observatory consisted of assessing and rating Swiss timepiece movements for accuracy. Movements that passed the stringent tests were issued a certification from the observatory called a Bulletin de Marche, signed by the Directeur of the Observatory. The Bulletin de Marche stated the testing criteria, and the actual performance of the movement. A movement with a Bulletin de Marche from an observatory became known as an Observatory Chronometer, and such were issued a chronometer reference number by the Observatory.
The movement of the present Vacheron Constantin pocket watch is dated 1945. This chronometer reference number is VC 464268. This chronometer participated 19 times in the competitions of the Geneva Observatory, from 1948 to the last competition held in 1968.
In the last competition in 1968, chronometer VC 464268 was awarded 53.28 points out of a possible total of 60 points. The winner of the competition obtained 55.08 points while the chronometer which ranked last obtained 47.37 points. Chronometer VC 464268 ranked 7th place out of 15.
With its prestigious history of awards from the Geneva Observatory, the movement of this present pocket watch represents the finest expression of Swiss horological traditions.