Tai_sione
1
Vacheron 1921 original
Good afternoon all,
Long time lurker, first time poster. Thought this was the appropriate place to post this: an original Vacheron “American 1921”, circa 1919.
This is a very rare, original example of Vacheron Constantin's "American 1921" model, dating to 1919, and is one of the rarest Vacheron Constantin timepieces to appear publicly. The "1921" is one of Vacheron's most iconic watch designs, with the traditional watch display turned 45 degrees, either to the left or to the right. There were two series of the model "1921" produced. The present timepiece is an example of the 1919 series, characterized by luminous Arabic numerals, luminous cathedral-style hands, and the dial and crown being offset to the right(at about the 2 to 3 o' clock position). The second series, produced in the model's year 1921, had black painted Breguet numerals, blued Breguet-style non-luminous hands, and had the dial offset towards the left, with the crown adjusted accordingly and sitting at the (traditionally) 10 o' clock position. Both series were believed to be produced upon special request for the American market, with exceedingly low production figures of 6 watches per series, with only 12 watches produced in total.
“The present example is from the 1919 series, and is in excellent condition. The watch's design is archetypal of the period, with a cushion-style case and a dial that is nearly identical to those on the brand's pocket watches allocated to the American Corps of Engineers. The watch appears to have been lovingly cared for. Despite the dial being conceived of delicate white enamel, it shows minimal hairline cracks, as the watch was likely rarely worn enough to render any serious wear and tear. The original owner was surely very fond of the watch, as later on in the watch's lifespan, the owner returned the watch to the brand, and requested that Vacheron Constantin replace the original leather strap with a luxurious 18k yellow gold woven mesh bracelet. This bracelet, still with the watch is as preserved as the watch itself, with minimal stretch, no slack in the clasp and crisp, legible hallmarks. The movement is also in good condition, with the côtes de Genève damaskeening still visible on the bridges, and few and far between watchmaker marks on the inside of the caseback.
Original Vacheron "1921" examples have rarely shown up publicly, let alone at auction. Of the luminous dials, the auction appearances in recent years are as follows:
Fellows Auctioneers, "The Watch Sale", UK, January 31st, 2017, lot 338
Bonhams, "The Art of Time", New York, October 16th, 2019, lot 23*
*though this example is also luminous, the dial is in the traditional format, rather than offset.
There have also been two public offerings of the 1921, "non-luminous" dial series examples:
Antiquorum, "The Quarter Millennium of Vacheron Constantin", Geneva, April 3rd, 2005, lot 176
Sotheby's, "Important Watches", Hong Kong, October 7th, 2012, lot 2149
The present watch, delivered to New York in September of 1919 is further accentuated by being offered with a Certificate of Authenticity from Vacheron Constantin, after its return trip to the manufacturer at their headquarters in Geneva. Fully documented and offered with full certification, this lot presents an excellent opportunity to own an exceedingly rare example of one of the brand's most iconic watch designs.”
