I · The Maker/II · The Object/III · The Dial/IV · The Record/V · Acquisition
Room I · The Maker
Vacheron & Constantin, founded in Geneva in 1755, is one of the Holy Trinity of Swiss watchmaking alongside Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet. The oldest continuously operating watch manufacturer in the world, the house is known for movements of exceptional finishing and for the Maltese cross that marks every piece. This 1945 example carries the triple signature, dial, movement and caseback, that confirms it left the Geneva workshops as a fully finished Vacheron product.
Côtes de Genève on calibre 439/6C
The Object
Geneva's oldest great house, signed three times over on the dial, the movement and the case back: an 18k gold Vacheron & Constantin of 1945 with a clean champagne dial, running well.
This watch dates to around 1945, the years just after the Second World War, when demand for fine Swiss dress watches was recovering across Europe and America and Vacheron was making pieces like this one: quiet, correct, and built to be kept. At 46.9mm in solid 18k gold it sits at the larger end of the mid-century gentleman's watch, substantial in the hand, with a plain polished case and nothing on the outside to announce itself.
The champagne dial uses the mixed layout the house favoured in this period: applied yellow gold Arabic numerals at the quarters and faceted rose gold dart markers between them, with slim gold baton hands and a sub-seconds register at six. The surface is clean throughout, with no lifting at the chapter ring, and the hands are original.
The best detail is out of sight. Inside the caseback the gold is finished in perlage, overlapping circles still sharp and unmarked, on a surface only the owner ever sees.
The case is true and the dial clean, and it winds smoothly, sets without resistance and runs well.
The marks, the movement and the condition are set out piece by piece in the drawers below; the three signatures are recorded in The Record.
Room III · The Dial
Reading the dial · tap a number
- 1Signed Vacheron & ConstantinThe maker's signature on the dial, one of three on the watch.
- 2Arabic quartersApplied yellow gold Arabic numerals at the quarters.
- 3Faceted dartsFaceted rose gold dart markers between the numerals.
- 4Gold baton handsSlim gold baton hands, original.
- 5Sub-seconds at sixA sub-seconds register at six.
- 6Champagne lacquerA champagne lacquered dial, clean throughout, with no chips, spotting or lifting at the chapter ring.
- 746.9mm in 18k goldA plain polished case of 46.9mm in solid 18k gold, with nothing on the outside to announce itself.
Beneath the case
Open each drawer to look closer
Mark 1
18K / 0.750 cartouche, Helvetia head, hammer mark 123
Standard gold-purity cartouche confirming 18-karat (750/1000) fineness, with the official Swiss assay mark for 18-karat gold watch cases, in use from 1882 to 1995, struck alongside, and the Swiss case maker's responsibility mark, a hammer with the registration number 123.
Mark 2
METAL 96
Stamp declaring the movement ring base metal rather than gold, so the fitting cannot be counted as part of the gold case; the number is a fitter's mark.
- ACalibre 439/6CManual-wind movement with Côtes de Genève striped nickel finish and 17 jewels.
- BTemperature AdjustmentMovement adjusted to temperatures for improved accuracy across conditions.
- CVacheron & Constantin SignatureSigned on the movement bridge with the Maltese cross, confirming manufacture in the Geneva workshops.
- DMovement Serial 481044Serial number placing production in the mid-1940s output of the Vacheron & Constantin manufacture.
Case
Excellent
Very light age-consistent wear to the exterior, no dents, no significant scratches. The perlage inside the caseback is sharp and unmarked.
Dial
Excellent
Champagne lacquered surface clean throughout, no chips, no spotting, no lifting at the chapter ring or numerals.
Movement
Excellent
Running well, winds smoothly, hands set without resistance.
Crystal
Excellent
Clear, no chips or cracks.
Crown
Excellent
Winds and sets smoothly in both positions.
46.88
This watch
25.75
€2 coin
A €2 coin is 25.75 mm. This case is more than two and a half times its area.
Room IV · The Record
Signed on dial, movement and case
The watch carries the Vacheron & Constantin signature in three places: the dial, the movement bridge and the inner caseback, the last two with the Maltese cross. The case is marked with the 18K/0.750 cartouche and the Helvetia head Swiss assay mark, confirming it as solid 18-karat gold. The case serial 315996 and movement serial 481044 place production around 1945.
- Maker
- Vacheron & Constantin
- Model
- Open Face
- Case
- 18k yellow gold (0.750)
- Diameter
- 46.88mm
- Case serial
- 315996
- Dial
- Champagne, applied yellow gold Arabic quarters and faceted rose gold dart markers, slim gold baton hands
- Movement
- Manual wind, 17 jewels, adjusted to temperatures
- Calibre
- 439/6C (Côtes de Genève striped nickel)
- Movement serial
- 481044
- Estimated date
- C.1945
- Country
- Switzerland
- Complications
- Sub-seconds
- Hallmarks
- 18K/0.750 cartouche, Helvetia head Swiss assay mark, hammer responsibility mark 123, METAL 96 on movement ring
- Signatures
- Vacheron & Constantin on dial, movement bridge and inner case back; Maltese cross on the movement and case back
The Estate Collection
Room V · Acquisition
€9.500
We’d love to discuss our passion for this piece with you.
Vacheron & Constantin
€9.500
Enquiry
18ct Gold Open Face, c.1945
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