36,800 CHF
“Automatic Yellow Cioccolatone” Vacheron & Constantin, Genève, No. 527934, case No. 356540, Ref. 4737. Made in 1957. Very fine and rare, large, square, center-seconds, self-winding, 18K yellow gold gentleman’s wristwatch with an 18K yellow gold Vacheron & Constantin buckle. Two-body, curved, solid, polished, stepped bezel, rounded lugs, thick domed crystal. Matte silveredwith applied yellow gold pyramidal and triangular indexes. Yellow gold "bâton" hands. Cal. 12’’’ P1019/1 aut., rhodium plated, "fausses-côtes" decoration, 21 jewels, straight line leverescapement, beryllium balance with timing screws, adjusted to heat, cold, isochronism and five positions,shock-absorber, self-compensating Breguet balance-spring, swan-neck micrometer regulator.Dial, case and movement signed.Dim. 35 x 43 mm. Thickness: 12 mm. Notes Ref. 4737 is called “cioccolatone” by Italian collectors due to its shape. Several variatons exist, manual winding, Ref. 4822, the self-winding Ref. 4764 and 6440 with calendar and moon phases; Ref. 6440 with center-seconds; Ref. 6440Q, with date. These models are the most admired and sought-after 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 o
Auctioneer:
Antiquorum
Date:
2005-05-15
