44,400 CHF
“Pink Cioccolatone” Vacheron & Constantin, Genève, movement No. 556704, case No. 362830, Ref. 4737. Made in 1957. Extremely fine and very rare, large, curved square, center seconds, self-winding, 18K pink gold wristwatch. Two-body, curved, solid, polished, stepped bezel, rounded lugs, thick domed crystal. Silver with applied pink gold square and triangular indexes. Pink gold baton hands. Cal. 12’’’ P1019, rhodium-plated, fausses-cotes decoration, 21 jewels, straight-line lever escapement, beryllium balance with timing screws, adjusted to temperatures, shock absorber, self-compensating Breguet balance spring, swan-neck micrometer regulator. Dial, case and movement signed. Dim. 43 x 35 mm. Thickness 12 mm. Notes Ref. 4737 IIs called “cioccolatone” by Italian collectors due to its shape. Several variatons exist: the selfwinding Ref. 4764 with calendar and moon phases; Ref. 6440 with center seconds; Ref. 6440Q, with date. These models are the most admired and soughtafter 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 superimposed “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 guilloche dial and a platinum case and was launched under the name “Toledo”.
Auctioneer:
Antiquorum
Date:
2008-03-16
