anon438
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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 Archives.
The description of the Ref 3388 included "It does not appear in the Registers that any other watch of this kind, bearing screwed bezel and back was ever made."
Source: The book 'The Art of Vacheron Constantin' by Antiquorum Editions, 1994
Watches of the Ref 3388 with Steel and Gold cases on sale at Vacheron & Constantin in 1933 would mean, Antiquorum and Vacheron were wrong at the time of the auction - the difference between an 'one of' or a 'batch of watches'? This would have been not exactly a small mistake.
May I ask directly Christian Selmoni?
My lasting insight for the aficionados, I would recommend to get on highly alert if you encounter a steel version.
It is known that very similar steel cases were sold by Taubert to some other manufactures like Longines. It would be easy to create a steel version by using the Longines steel case and mixing it with some Vacheron movement and dial.
So if you encounter a steel version, my suggestion would be, to send it yourself to Vacheron for a full authenticity check. Do not trust the dealer or expert, also not with the paper work.
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...