lot 07

Vacheron Constantin

Overseas Chrongraph Perpetual Calendar

Estimate CHF 30 000 / CHF 40 000
Starting bid CHF 30 000

Hammer price CHF 48 000
Total bids 10
All prices do not include 24% Premium

Specification

Case18k 5N rose gold polished bezel, perpetual calendar, chronograph screw down pushers and crown, moonphase
StrapBrown alligator strap, deployant buckle
DialSolid case back with 'overseas' medalion. 18K rose gold bezel, scratch resistant sapphire crystal, light brown dial with luminous hands and index hour markers, minute markers around the outer rim, date and 30 minute chronograph sub-dial at 3 o'clock, moonphase and 60 seconds sub-dial at 6, day of the week and 60 minute chronograph sub dial at 9 o'clock, the month and cycle of the leap year sub dial at 12
MovementAutomatic self-winding
Cal.1136
Ref.49020/000R-9753
Movement No.5248223
Case No.1244908
AccessoriesRubber strap, Pin pusher
ConditionVery good
D=42 mm

Condition report

Case:Good, only small signs of use
Strap:good, slightly worn
Dial:Perfect
Movement:very good, all functions working properly
Amplitude (Dial on top/Lift angle 52):ca. 290 degrees
Accuracy (Dial on top):+ 5 s/day
Box:Yes
Papers:Yes

Details 

An elegant, attractive and rare rose gold highly complicated wristwatch of the famous Swiss watch brand Vacheron Constantin, founded in 1755. Estimated production period: 2012–2019. Case made of 18k rose gold, diameter 42mm, 12.5mm thick, screw-locked crown and chronograph pushpieces, solid gold caseback with embossed medallion with the collection emblem, a sailing ship carved directly into the metal, perpetual calendar correctors at 2, 4, 8 and 10 o’clock. Matte grey dial with recessed subsidiary dials featuring white silvered rings and grey centres with circular grooves, luminous applied rose gold trapezoidal hour markers, luminous rose gold ‘pencil’ hour and minute hands, minute/seconds markers around the sloped outer rim. Caliber 1136QP, self-winding with a gold rotor, power reserve up to 40 hours, entirely protected by a soft-iron antimagnetic screen. 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, perpetual calendar with indicators for the date at 3 o’clock, the day of the week at 9 o’clock, the 48-month indication with leap years at 12 o’clock, and the moonphase display at 6 o’clock. Dark-brown leather strap, Vacheron Constantin half Maltese cross-shaped 18k rose gold triple folding clasp. 

Lot essay 

The Overseas Chronograph Perpetual Calendar Ref. 49020 is one of the rarest and most complicated references of the Vacheron Constantin Overseas collection. The Overseas collection of luxury sport watches was introduced by Vacheron Constantin in 1996, but chronograph and perpetual calendar watches were produced as reference 49020 only in three execution types, and two of them were released in limited editions: the Overseas Chronograph Perpetual Calendar Boutiques Exclusive Ref. 49020/000W-9656 in stainless steel with titanium bezel and slate grey dial issued in an 80-piece limited edition, and the Overseas Chronograph Perpetual Calendar Boutique New York Ref. 49020/000A-9718 in stainless steel with a blue dial in a 20-piece limited edition, both in 2011. The Overseas Chronograph Perpetual Calendar Ref. 49020/000R-9753, the third and final version of Ref. 49020 in an 18k rose gold case with matte grey dial, as the present example, was launched in 2012. Although it was a regular-production reference, not a limited-edition, Ref. 49020/000R-9753 extremely rarely appears in auctions and on the pre-owned watch market. Currently, the Overseas Chronograph Perpetual Calendar Ref. 49020 is discontinued, and the Overseas collection no longer has models with such a set of complications, undoubtedly adding to the attractiveness of the present lot. 

The Overseas Chronograph Perpetual Calendar Ref. 49020 is one of the rarest and most complicated references of the Vacheron Constantin Overseas collection.

The self-winding caliber 1136QP of the present reference was developed on the basis of a modified Frédéric Piguet 1185 column-wheel movement-blank, with an additional perpetual calendar complication module based on a kit from the Dubois Dépraz factory, a long-term partner and supplier of Vacheron Constantin. 

Reasons to bid 

The Overseas is a superb luxury sports watch created by Vacheron Constantin as an alternative to similar watches from other prestigious brands. As far as this lot is concerned, this option is all the more interesting because in high-end watches of a sporty-elegant design, only Vacheron Constantin in their Overseas collection offer such a set of complications. The present lot features a unique sporty and chic design of its own, a rare combination of automatic chronograph and perpetual calendar, and a precious-metal design version with a bold combination of rose gold, a matte grey dial and an upscale dark brown leather strap. Therefore, the Overseas Chronograph Ref. 49150/000R-9338 would appear to be a very attractive purchase for the collector who seeks a highly complicated mechanical watch of a branded sporty design from a world-famous traditional watch brand, one of the market leaders in haute horlogerie and complicated timepieces. The present watch features a Vacheron Constantin 18k rose gold half Maltese cross-shaped triple folding clasp that significantly increases the perceived value of the present watch and underscores its sporty chic character. Its self-winding caliber and 42mm case perfectly match modern tastes, making the present watch an almost perfect daily wearer

N.B. 

The keen collector should note that also offered for purchase in this sale is another rare 18k rose gold Vacheron Constantin watch featuring the highly complicated self-winding caliber 1136QP – the rarest Les Complications Chronograph Perpetual Calendar Ref. 49005/000R. Together with the present lot, they represent the evolution of the chronograph perpetual calendar complication in the Vacheron Constantin collection over the years.