$27,600
So-called "Yellow Cioccolatone" Vacheron & Constantin, Genève, "Automatic", No. 575922, case No. 356529, Ref. 4737. Made in the 1950s. Very fine and rare, large, "carre galbe", center-seconds, self-winding, 18K yellow gold gentleman's wristwatch with an 18K yellow gold tiled bracelet. Two-body, solid, polished, stepped bezel, rounded lugs,domed thick crystal. Satiné silver with applied yellow goldpyramid and triangular indexes. Yellow gold "bâton" hands. Cal. K 1071, stamped with the Geneva Quality Mark,rhodium-plated, "fausses côtes" decoration, 29 jewels, straightline lever escapement, monometallic balance adjusted to heat,cold, isochronism and 5 positions, shock-absorber, self-compen-satingBreguet balance-spring, micrometer regulator, 18K goldrotor segment. Dial, case and movement signed.Dim. 36 x 43 mm. Thickness: 12 mm.Approx. overall length : 180 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 4737, 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 superim-posed "levels". At the time, it was made in yellow gold, more rarely in pink gold
Auctioneer:
Antiquorum
Date:
2005-06-15
