Vintage
Tick Talk's meticulous curation of Vacheron Constantin repeater watches, salvaged from the defunct 'The Hour Lounge' forum, offers an invaluable historical record. This article, 'Vacheron & Constantin Repeater Watches Part II,' highlights rare references and unique pieces, providing crucial context for collectors and enthusiasts. Tick Talk's dedication ensures that these significant horological insights remain accessible and celebrated.
From 2007 to 2017, Vacheron Constantin hosted The Hour Lounge, an online forum where a treasure trove of historic photographs and technical details were shared with participants. Although the forum is gone, some materials were saved. I have endeavoured to curate this information, updated where possible and revised where necessary, for the benefit of connoisseurs and collectors alike. Photo credit Vacheron Constantin unless otherwise noted. Tick Talk
The Best of The Hour Lounge
Vacheron & Constantin Repeater Watches
Part II
1930
Calibre RA 12’’’ PC minute repeater wrist watch in white gold cushion case with rose gold repeater slide, measuring 33.5mm x 41.5mm.
1936
Reference 3620. Minute repeater, unique piece for Spanish client. Gold tonneau case, day of the week, date via retrograde hand, numerals in blue. Believed to be the first wrist watch with a retrograde hand.
1942
Reference 4261. Minute repeater, produced in pink, yellow and white gold, and platinum: 17 pieces from 1942, 9 pieces from 1944 and 10 pieces beginning in 1951, 5.25mm movement thickness.
1955
Reference 4261. In platinum, 3.28mm movement.
1957
Reference 4293. Minute repeater, triple date with moon phases. Calibre RA 13’’’ from 1943, 29 jewels, 38mm rose gold case, sold in 1957.
1958
Minute repeater, yellow gold hunting case, movement 4.7mm thick.
1961
Reference 6448. Minute repeater. Produced in 3 pieces, each with different dial: white gold with diamond indexes (sold in 1961), white gold regular dial (sold in 1962) and platinum with diamond indexes (sold in 1962).
1962
Reference 4444 / 6526. Minute repeater chronograph, perpetual calendar with moon phases. Introduced in 1946, revised with change of reference number in 1962. Produced in 6 pieces.
1992
Reference 30010. Minute repeater. Movement design commenced in 1988 with Dubois Depraz, based on a V&C 1940s extra-flat calibre. Calibre 1755 was introduced in 1992, at 3.28mm thick, and only 200 were produced. Reference 30010 was available with a solid dial in 36mm platinum or yellow gold case and skeletonized version in rose gold with a limited edition of 20 pieces in platinum introduced in 2008.
1992
Reference 30020. Minute repeater with perpetual calendar, calibre 1755, yellow gold or platinum case. Perpetual calendar module increased thickness to 4.9mm.
2005 Tour de l’Ile
15’’’ 1/2 calibre 2750 with 834 parts, 39 jewels, measuring 36mm x 11.25mm thick. Case measuring 47mm x 17.8mm thick with indications using 12 hands on front and back, 7 corrector pushers, repeater slide on bezel.
Tourbillon
Minute repeater
Power reserve indicator
Day/Date/Month
Leap year indicator
Perpetual calendar with moon phases
2nd time zone
Sonnerie level indication
Equation of time with Sunrise and Sunset
Celestial chart of Northern hemisphere
Sidereal time
7 pieces made for Vacheron Constantin’s 250th anniversary between 2005 and 2007. A unique black dial version was offered at the Vacheron Constantin 250th anniversary thematic auction in 2005. It appeared again at auction in January of 2021 but failed to sell.
2005 Esprit des Cabinotiers
Unique piece made for Vacheron Constantin’s 250th anniversary, base movement from 1934. Case consists of a gold sphere weighting 3.5kg, engraved with a representation of a sky chart drawn by the geographer to King Louis XV of France. Eight panels, activated by a hidden button, progressively open via a spring mechanism to reveal the clock. Opening mechanism crafted by automaton maker François Junod. A central telescoping cylinder raises the timepiece via sixteen connecting rods articulating on sapphire balls.
Day/Date/Month
Perpetual calendar with leap year
Moon phases
Equation of time
2nd time zone
Sonnerie en passant
Thermometer
Signs of the zodiac
Power reserve indicator
2006
Reference 30040. Minute repeater with perpetual calendar, calibre 1755 QP, 41mm Malte case in rose gold. In 2010 the last 8 calibre 1755, with Quantième Perpétuels, were cased in platinum.
2007
Patrimony Traditionnelle Calibre 2755. Pink gold case, platinum version introduced in 2010. Special edition for retailer Dubail in 2009, pink gold with brown dial. Also one unique piece for each Boutique opening in London, Paris and New York.
Tourbillon
Day/Date/Month
Leap year indicator
Perpetual calendar
Minute repeater
Power reserve indicator
2010 Atelier Cabinotier Philosophia - Unique piece
Calibre 2755 tourbillon minute repeater, perpetual calendar with moon phases, power reserve, modified with a single 24 hour hand.
2011 Atelier Cabinotier Vladimir - Unique piece
Movement with 17 complications, 891 components. Pink gold case engraved with Chinese Zodiac figures.
Indications for hours, minutes and second on tourbillon
Minute repeater
Perpetual calendar with moon phases
Power reserve
Second time zone
Striking-mechanism torque
Perpetual time equation
Sunrise, sunset
Celestial map
Week number indication
2013
Patrimony Contemporaine Calibre 1731. Minute repeater, movement 3.90mm thick, 65 hours power reserve.
References
What an insightful post, I can imagine the amount of work that is behind such an article, I am very thankful for it my friend! Mike
Thoroughly enjoyed this. Thank you! The first one pictured is an absolute grail - well, to be clear, they all are.
What a great archive. Thanks for sharing.
The Hour Lounge was an incredible resource. It's always been my hope that at least a few of the most authoritative discussions could be retrieved and shared on a different platform. Some of the threads on that forum contained the equivalent of decades worth of scholarship and auction catalog essays. If you could retrieve just the "VC Sports Watch History," "VC Chronograph History," and "VC Alternative Time Display" articles, I'd be a happy man. Best, Tim
...the first two in particular. I am a sucker for a shaped case and two-tone watches. Heaven for me.
This is based on articles originally posted in The Hour Lounge by Alex Ghotbi, as well as other sources noted in the references. I'm only rescuing them from obscurity.
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