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facts stay facts
I reffered to Alex's article 'Vacheron Constantin and the Tonneau 100 Years of Creativity Part 2' from 2012 published at www.thehourlounge.com, since he had access to the V&C archives at that time. Therefore the indication of the year and the reference number. Vacheron & Constantin, 1933, ref 3388.
This fact is also confirmed by at least one second source, the book of Lambelet and Coen 'The World of Vacheron Constantine Genève'.
For reference on the Taubert & Fils patent question David Boettcher is certainly a good and trustable source. He holds a degree in Engineering Science from the University of Bath, is a Chartered Engineer, a member of the Institute of Engineering and Technology, and a registered European Engineer. He is therefore a qualified and scientifically trained source, and by the way also on other watch related topics - not only the allproof cases.
The source for the results of David's research is his website www.vintagewatchstraps.com , or his articles available via www.nawcc.org .Or you maybe just ask him your questions on 3rd of October 2018, AHS Midlands Section, "The Evolution of the Waterproof Watch, 1851 to 1935", 7:30pm at Warwick University.
It is obvious that the patented screw bezel and back system was used - but this still says nothing about the used material or even the manufacturer of the case. The differences in the watch case materials, stainless steel or gold, are, of course, the main question.
Seeking your input about a rather "obscure" Vacheron Constantin reference from around 1933. Your answers are much appreciated :-)
Hi fellow purists, Who of you can tell me a bit more about the below Vacheron Constantin watch from around 1933? I am especially looking forward to your input, tick-talk Thank you so much and best regards, LX ...
I have no clue,
it's the first time I see the watch but I totally love the design! Cheers, Filip
one of VC's first attempts to create a waterproof watch. here both
the caseback and bezel are screwed on
Yes, but is there any other information available?
Was it a prototype? If it was for sale, how many were made and sold? etc.
Not a prototype, it was for sale but I have no
idea on numbers produced. At the time VC was making only a handful of watches so I would expect this piece to be quite rare
For mi it looks more Girrad Perregaux than Genta (APRO+Nautilus) or Heysek (VC 222). But i think this is coincidentally.
I agree 100% with all answers of Alex.
case by Taubert
This distinctive screwback waterproof case design with the 10-sided bezel was a 1932 patent of Taubert & Fils case manufacturers in Geneva, and was used by V&C and others. Taubert may not be a familiar name but they took over the famous Borgel wat...
Hi tick-talk, this really opens up a whole new chapter of reading... :-)
I was unaware of this casemaker before. You having shown me this information is exactly why I like this forum here so much. A lot of very knowledgeable and friendly people! I would be happy to also share the link below which I just found - based on your p...
I'm glad you found David's site
he is a great example how one can through diligence, enthusiasm, and dogged research, become the content expert in his area of interest; namely Borgel.
I'm guessing it's very small...
That's to be considered... But I love it. I know nothing about it. The design is really striking.
V&C 1933 ref 3388
"The Hour Lounge, Alex Ghotbi, 2. August 2012, ... 1933 – Photo reference 3388, Vacheron Constantin’s first water resistant wrist watch (thanks to its screwed on case back and bezel) and certainly a piece which inspired directly the Overseas. Housing a 12...
I don't know where you obtained your quote but
Alex's article; The Evolution of Vacheron Constantin Sports Watches, from March of 2009 says the following about the Taubert-cased V&C: 1930-1977 During this era we can’t really talk about sports watches from Vacheron Constantin but the brand did prod...
facts stay facts
I reffered to Alex's article 'Vacheron Constantin and the Tonneau 100 Years of Creativity Part 2' from 2012 published at , since he had access to the V&C archives at that time. Therefore the indication of the year and the reference number. Vacheron &...
And it is ... a V&C 'one of' in 18k Gold
There is one further source which described the example as follows: Antiquorum N°128 - 13 novembre 1994 - Lot N°134 "Vacheron & Constantin, Genève, No. 397862, case No. 258659, sold to Mr. F. de Groot on 20 July 1933. Very fine and extremely rare, early, ...
And was even two times for auction
Check this source ... So nothing 'obscure' about this watch at all. The only obscure thing is, it was not sold initially. The insight for the aficionados, I would recommend to get on highly alert if you encounter a steel version. Cheers.
Great find on the gold version at Antiquorum
I'm not disputing the material published in World of Vacheron Constantin, only asking for clarification if you are stating that only one gold-cased piece was made and nothing in steel? For me it suggests that both steel and gold Taubert-cased watches were...
Our good friend at VC archives
confirms the ref 3388 cases were obtained from Taubert in both steel and gold. Cheers,
Interesting move, but if the cautious collector might still has doubts
The watch was in the Antiquorum auction in Geneva on 13th of November 1994. It is well known this auction was held by Antiquorum in cooperation with Vacheron & Constantin. Any of the watches in this auction came with certificates from the Vacheron Archive...
Please continue your research
The object of our fraternity is knowledge, after all. Ask Christian, then Mr. Ferla, but they will just go back to the guy in the Heritage Dept who has already spoken. FWIW, Antiquorum is not without mistakes; recall the infamous George V aviators watch f...