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Overseas Chronograph
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lot 09

Vacheron Constantin

Overseas Chronograph

Estimate CHF 15 000 / CHF 20 000
Starting bid CHF 15 000
Hammer price CHF 28 000
Total bids 12
Buyer’s premium will not be charged

Specification

CaseYellow gold case 750/1000 with a polished bezel, screw-down pushers & crown, solid yellow gold caseback with "Overseas" engraving
BraceletIntegrated original yellow gold 750/1000 bracelet
DialSilvered dial with applied yellow gold indices, big date at 12 o'clock, 30 minutes counter at 3 o'clock, small seconds at 6 o'clock & 12 hour counter at 9 o'clock
MovementRhodium-plated automatic movement, column wheel chronograph
Ref.49140/243J
Movement No.880380
Case No.718419
D=40mm
Year2001

Condition report

Case:Good, small signs of wear
Strap:Extra original brown Alligator strap
Bracelet:Good, small signs of wear
Dial:Very good, small signs of patina
Movement:All functions working properly
Amplitude (Dial on top/Lift angle 52):Approx 240°
Accuracy (Dial on top):Approx -15 sec/day
Box:Yes
Papers:Yes

Details 

An elegant, attractive and rare yellow gold chronograph wristwatch of the famous Swiss watch brand Vacheron Constantin, founded in 1755. The present reference launched in 1999. Purchased in 2001. Case made of 18k yellow gold, diameter 40mm, 12.1mm thick, screw-locked crown and chronograph pushpieces, solid gold caseback with embossed medallion with collection emblem, a sailing ship carved directly into the metal. Sunburst silvered dial, recessed counters with fine circular grooves, minute/seconds markers around outline with fine circular grooves, solid gold hands and applied sculpted indexes. Caliber 1137, self-winding with a gold rotor, power reserve up to 40 hours. Functions – indication of time in hours and minutes, small seconds hand at 6 o’clock, chronograph with central seconds hand, 30-minute counter at 3 o’clock, 12-hour counter at 9 o’clock, big date indicator at 12 o’clock. The first-generation 18k yellow gold Overseas bracelet, extra Vacheron Constantin brown leather strap with Vacheron Constantin half Maltese cross-shaped 18k yellow gold pin buckle. 

Lot essay 

The Overseas collection of luxury sport watches was introduced by Vacheron Constantin in 1996. In 1999, the brand introduced the first Overseas chronographs, produced under the present reference 49140. These were automatic models, equipped with caliber 1137, which was a modified Frédéric Piguet 1185 column-wheel caliber with a rare and at the time increasingly popular additional complication of a two-digit large date display. In the 2000s, another trend of larger watches emerged, and so in 2004 a new updated Overseas generation appeared. The chronographs of the updated collection, produced under the new reference 49150, retained the same caliber 1137, but the case size was increased from 40mm to 42mm. 

A yellow gold version with sunburst silvered dial is rare, and at the end of 2004, this reference was discontinued.

The Overseas is a superb luxury sports watch created by Vacheron Constantin as an alternative to similar watches from other prestigious brands. Vacheron Constantin goes up against them with a unique design of its own, with the collection’s signature features and a rare combination of automatic chronograph and big date that rival chronographs typically lack. The first-generation Overseas Chronograph Ref. 49140 was offered mainly in stainless steel, with sunburst silvered dial or black military-inspired dial with applied luminous Arabic numerals. A yellow gold version with sunburst silvered dial is rare, and at the end of 2004, this reference was discontinued. The present lot features a chic and rare precious-metal design version with a bold combination of yellow gold, silvered sunburst dial and the first-generation 18k yellow gold Overseas bracelet. The watch may be worn on an extra upscale brown leather strap. 

Reasons to bid 

The Vacheron Constantin Overseas Chronograph Ref. 49140/423J ‘The First Generation’ would appear to be a fine purchase for the collector who seeks an early chronograph wristwatch of a branded sporty design from a world-famous traditional watch brand, one of the market leaders in haute horlogerie and complicated timepieces. The first-generation 18k yellow gold Overseas bracelet and extra original brown leather strap with 18k yellow gold half Maltese cross-shaped bin buckle significantly underscore the sporty chic character of a watch. Its self-winding caliber and 40mm case perfectly match modern tastes, making the present watch an almost perfect daily wearer.