1955, the end of a era

Hi Dean, good to see you are still the font of knowledge for vintage Vacheron.
Sometime around 1948, they started the guilloche dials, and the applied Maltese cross had about the same time starting date.
My theory is that someone got a free hand in design about 1947, thus began the greatest period of design for the Company. And then, in 1955, they either retired or passed away, because everything after that was downhill.. I wish Alex could have figured that out while he was there. Dials, cases, and colors put them above PP for a brief period of time. These were the things they did best.
There are a lot of variations within the application of the cross and the guilloche patterns. But no documentation in this regard. My collecting focuses on this period, what i call the esthetic period. When watch design was fully functional and yet unambiguously beautiful. The very antithesis of the overseas, and the whole GG design ethos.

💰210 Marketplace Listings for Vacheron Constantin›

which year did V & C's watch start inlaying the Maltese Cross logo on the dial?

By: teacher Sun : August 10th, 2021-11:46

At least before the 1940s, there was no Maltese Cross logo on the dial. only signature"vacheron&constantin" on the dial. In my memory, this sign should appear after the 1950s, but it is difficult to determine which year . Whether there is a more accurate ...

Sorry, but I can't answer your question, but...

By: MikiJ : August 10th, 2021-13:44

Oh that dial on the 4537

1929 is the earliest Maltese Cross on dial I am aware of

By: Tick Talk : August 10th, 2021-15:49

a Maltese Cross was featured on the enamel dial of a V&C wrist watch as early as 1929. As an aside, Mrs Tick Talk has a pendant watch from 1879 with a small Maltese Cross engraved on the cover; one year before V&C registered the design! Applied ma...

Many thanks for your input Tick Talk our VC bible 🙏

By: Mike H : August 10th, 2021-16:20

There are many "circa 1940s"

By: Tick Talk : August 10th, 2021-20:59

watches to be found on auction and retail sites with Maltese Cross applied to the dial but I don't take those dates seriously unless accompanied by papers.

1948 is a very important message. I would like to ask one more question, the information about 1948 appeared on the THL forum? I logged in for a short time in the last period of its existence.

Dating the movement serial number

By: northcentralsouth : August 12th, 2021-20:36

I use this page. www.pocketwatchrepair.com The dates are for all watches except the chronographs.

The data on the website is very important.

By: teacher Sun : August 12th, 2021-22:34

But this time was when the movement made, not when the whole watch assembled and sold.

that is the problem with serial number databases

By: Tick Talk : August 13th, 2021-15:32

movements were often manufactured years before being cased as a watch. The dates provided by VC for vintage timepieces are either for when the watch was completed or sold.

Many issues discussed about vintage VC in this forum are valuable.

By: teacher Sun : August 14th, 2021-03:18

I hope more friends will see it, participate in discussion and keep learning. It is more rigorous and scientific to judge with data and facts than with experience.

I also like VC made between after World War II to the mid-1950s.

By: teacher Sun : August 11th, 2021-10:55

At that time, the case shape and dial design were unique, far beyond that era.

Esthetic Period

By: Tick Talk : August 11th, 2021-19:15

I like it!

the big change

By: northcentralsouth : August 12th, 2021-20:43

I'm still shocked at how fast they changed. It coincides with the advent of the automatic movement. I guess the guilloche dialed watches just did not sell well.

there were also icon modles, ref 6694,ref 6782

By: teacher Sun : August 12th, 2021-22:48

I know collectors and buyers in China prefer ref 6378. I think the shape of this reference is very generous and easy to be accepted by most people. But it seems to lack the unique spirit of VC. sometimes it reminds me the case shape of Omega in the same p...

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