48,300 CHF
“Automatic Pink Cioccolatone” Vacheron & Constantin, Genève, No. 506009, case No. 343264, Ref. 4737. Made in 1948. Extremely fine and very rare, large, square, center-seconds, self-winding, 18K pink gold gentleman’s wristwatch with an 18K pink gold Vacheron & Constantin buckle. Two-body, curved, solid, polished, stepped bezel, rounded lugs, thick domed crystal. Brushed andsilvered with applied yellow gold pyramidal and triangular indexes. Pink gold "bâton" hands. Cal. 12’’’ 499 aut., rhodium plated, "fausses-côtes" decoration, 21 jewels, straight line lever escape-ment,beryllium balance with timing screws, adjusted to temperatures, shock-absorber, self-compensat-ingBreguet balance-spring, swan-neck micrometer regulator.Dial, case and movement signed.Dim. 35 x 43 mm. Thickness: 13 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 super-imposed “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 guilloché
Auctioneer:
Antiquorum
Date:
2005-05-15
