Rare and Exclusive, Museum Quality ** Vacheron & Constantin 18K Gold Fancy-Lug Wrist Watch, Originally Retailed by the Prestigious Türler of Zurich, Switzerland 1940s **
Vacheron & Constantin is the oldest continuously operating watch manufacture in the World. A full partner in the “holy trinity” of greatest Swiss watchmakers, alongside Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet, V&C represents the absolute top that the art of watch making has to offer.
This impeccably kept watch with its entirely original dial, with applied gold Roman numeral and baton markers, features an extraordinary 18K gold case with beautifully sculpted fancy lugs. It is complemented by an exquisite hand-stitched watchband and represents elegance in its purest form.
This wristwatch can be described as timeless. It constitutes a perfect example of the classic Mid-Century Design, which every luxury watch manufacturer has reintroduced with their current models today!
This classic wristwatch already was the height of fashion when it was produced; it remains so today… and similarly still will be when passed along to following generations!
Also worth remarking is the provenance of this venerable watch. As imprinted on its dial, it originally was retailed by Türler, widely considered – since over a century – Switzerland’s single most prestigious watch store.
- Dimensions: 32 mm (excluding the winding crown) x 40 mm (lug to lug)
- Case signed: VACHERON & CONSTANTIN, SWISS
- Dial signed: VACHERON & CONSTANTIN , GENEVE, TÜRLER, SWISS
- Movement signed: VACHERON & CONSTANTIN , GENEVE, SWISS, ADJ TO TEMP, SEVENTEEN 17 JEWELS
- Hallmarks: Case fully hallmarked, 18K / 0.750, Vacheron & Constantin Goldsmith’s Mark (Key Symbol with N°4), Swiss official gold mark (Helvetie head in profile)
- Condition: Excellent. Serviced by Master Swiss Watchmaker
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Vacheron & Constantin history
When Jean-Marc Vacheron founded the company in Geneva in 1775, he already had been an independent watchmaker in that city since 1755. In 1785, he passed the reins on to his son Abraham.
But four years later the French Revolution put the firm into dire straits, because significant numbers of V&C’s clientele were precisely those who lost their heads to the guillotine, or otherwise suffered economic ruin.
The solution only came in 1819, in the person of Francois Constantin, a wealthy grain merchant who was taken on as business partner. Constantin had previously been a watch dealer, and was entirely committed to the firm. Constantin traveled far and wide to market V&C’s watches, opening new markets across the world. Interestingly, at that time the main market became North America.
Another fortuitous decision was made in 1839 with their engagement of Georges-Auguste Leschot to supervise production. Leschot was a talented watchmaker and inventor, even a mechanical genius by some accounts. His machines and tools helped V&C to produce precision watches at a significantly reduced cost. He also invented the caliber concept which exists to this day… in other words standardized movement designs.
Following Constantin’s death in 1854 and Vacheron’s in 1863, the company fell under the control of a various heirs, including, at one point, two women who led the firm.
With the advent of the 20th century, fashion began moving towards the wristwatch. V&C, quick to react, began producing top end wristwatches in 1910.
