Vacheron Constantin

The crown at 12 o'clock ? On a dress watch ? Strange , but why not ! Vacheron Constantin has offered many models over the years: here are all the ones I could find . What do you think of this unusual crown placement ? Do you have a favorite model? Best re...  

I hadn't seen these before but really like the idea of the crown at 12 and much prefer the neo vintage versions with the seconds dial at 3. Marc

I love winding my manual winding watches and I think the crown at 12 o'clock probably makes the experience uncomfortable. Best, Emmanuel

I've seen some of these, having started in the early 80's in this hobby. My favorite, apart from the tonneau minute repeater is the yellow gold breguet enamel dial. Talk about a glorious calatrava.

but I have doubts about the winding experience. I love winding my manual winding watches and I think the crown at 12 o'clock probably makes the experience uncomfortable, unfortunately. Best, Emmanuel

These look a little better since the crown looks a little bigger. But still look less than ideal. Also, the gap between strap and case is HUGE. They probably did this so the strap wouldn't rub on the crown if it were a thicker strap.

Original design, but I love winding my manual winding watches and I think the crown at 12 o'clock probably makes the experience uncomfortable. Best, Emmanuel

And still regret not having done so. An intriguing watch for sure 👌🏻👍🏻

but I have mixed feelings, because I really love winding my manual winding watches and I think the crown at 12 o'clock probably makes the experience uncomfortable. So I don't think I would fully enjoy such a watch. Best, Emmanuel

That I don’t fully remember the winding experience 🤷🏻‍♂️

There are more than a few gems from that era. But of these, it's gotta be the tonneau repeater.

That said, I love winding my manual winding watches and I think the crown at 12 o'clock probably makes the experience uncomfortable, even with the Pancho, unfortunately. Best, Emmanuel

that stunning 1936 watch was first revealed to the Hour Lounge forum by a descendant who found it neglected in a drawer and was looking for information. These are a couple of the photos shared with us. Interestingly, few years earlier V&C had crafted two ...  

I have, of course, read extensively the story and history of this watch sold in 2019. Quite fascinating. VC has done a nice restored replacement dial and thankfully they’ve left the original one untouched. What’s sad though is that, given the amount paid ... 

but wasn't it a good idea to keep the original dial in its original state and just make another dial? I think this solution might be better than cleaning the original dial, not really knowing how it will come out in the end... Just my take on this dilemma... 

being so close to the strap. Personally, I prefer crowns to be at the 3 o'clock position.

I love winding my manual winding watches and I think the crown at 12 o'clock probably makes the experience uncomfortable. Best, Emmanuel

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But I love winding my hand-wound watches and I suspect that the crown at 12 o'clock doesn't make the experience comfortable, unfortunately. Best, Emmanuel

For the 1930’s pieces, V&C used Lepine-type pendant watch movements re-purposed for the new wristlet fad. Winder at 12 and seconds at 6 are the consequence. The original American 1921 can also credit its distinctive look to Lepine movements.

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I wasn’t aware of this “reason behind”.

1) the 1935 watch came in two slightly different sizes, one being 29mm and the other slightly bigger at 29.5mm. This is due to a difference in the lugs. On some of the cases, the lugs are tapered off on the sides (smaller size), while on some others the l... 

Charles Constantin was very explicit in the Annales that these top-winders were an economic, not aesthetic, initiative. It is ironic that what was initially a design compromise became a desirable feature with the Re-edition. Still, dipping into their hist... 

Thank you. Best, Emmanuel

in such a detailed way. It is really very interesting to read your comment. I had noticed that there are two styles of crown, one integrated, the other above. But I didn't pay enough attention to the different lugs and, of course, I didn't know about the ... 

I have owned only one top-winder watch, a Cartier Tank Basculante. As much as I loved that watch, I can confirm that the crown at 12 o'clock made the experience uncomfortable. ...  

But, of course, a manual-winding movement has to offer a pleasant winding experience, otherwise something's definitely wrong. Best, Emmanuel

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This is a major timepiece and of course it can only be a pity if the winding wasn't a pleasurable experience. Best, Emmanuel

Best, Emmanuel

in their comments above!