Vacheron Constantin
One of the widely recognised ‘Holy Trinity’ of Swiss watchmaking, along with Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet, Vacheron & Constantin is the world’s oldest ‘Watch Manufacturer’ and as such, has remained in continuous operation since 1755. More than this, Vacheron Constantin is the founding father of a spirit of technical excellence which it has made an art form. This is known as ‘Haute Horlogerie’ where Vacheron Constantin has been in the vanguard for over 260 years. This tradition defines the ‘Manufacture’, evident in the finest quality execution, reflected in a finish which goes far beyond the demands of the ‘Poinçon de Genève’.
Description
Here is a wonderful example of an early ladies Vacheron Constantin 18ct white gold & diamond cocktail watch from 1929. This dial, case and high grade 18 jewel movement all remain in superb condition, this watch also carries a largely adjustable, original bracelet. It is perfect for the season of cocktails, dinner parties and special occasions.
The Dial
The completely original, unrestored and untouched off-white dial carries ‘1 – 12’ numerals dial which are swept by the original blued steel ‘cathedral’ hands, all of which are framed by a minute railtrack. The dial design and case complement each other beautifully and also make the time easy to read for such a small watch.
As the dial is original and unrestored, this has been left untouched by our restoration team due to its unique condition showing some wonderful signs of ageing in the staining and pitting. Usually, we restore the dials of the watches we sell, however we decided in this case to leave it alone. It also helps to contrast with almost all of the other watch dials you see on our website, which have been restored. The hands, likewise, have also been left in their original condition.
Please note, studio lights, professional-grade digital cameras, and macro lenses can be very unkind to an unrestored vintage watch dial. Also the dial here measures less than 1.25 inches across, so the image you’re seeing may be between 5 – 25 times larger than the watch itself. Therefore please keep in mind you are seeing many tiny flaws which cannot be seen, or will be very hard to see with the naked eye, even under close examination. Suffice to say, on the wrist, in natural light, this dial looks much better and carries a great deal more charm than the photographs portray.
The Movement
The high grade 18 jewel, hand-wound movement is in incredibly clean and sparkling condition and has just been fully overhauled and serviced by our expert vintage Vacheron Constantin specialist watchmaker.
The example here is running perfectly, having been calibrated to run consistently within plus or minus 12 seconds per day! This is truly outstanding for any mechanical watch of this age and has been checked and confirmed on our electronic watch timegrapher.
The movement is simply signed ‘Vacheron Constantin’, ‘18 Eighteen Jewels’, ‘5 Five Adjust’ and carries the serial number 400137.
This particular movement is in beautiful condition and with regular servicing, say every 3 to 4 years, we would fully expect this watch to continue to run very happily for at least another 50+ years! We are therefore totally confident in offering this watch with our 12 months written warranty*.
*Please note – our 12 months’ warranty is only applicable if the list price is paid.
The Case
The stunning 18ct white gold case measures 16mm x 26mm, excluding the correct, flower engraved bezel. This watch also carries beautiful hand-engraved sides along with a diamond factory set bezel, all of which remain in tip-top condition. As one would expect, this is a high quality case, which from all appearances seems to have been very well cared for since there are no signs of wear, over-polishing, dings, scratches or other damage, visible to the naked eye.
As always, our standard advice applies: vintage watches should be kept clean and dry at all times.
The Bracelet
The watch is fitted with its original largely expandable bracelet. This bracelet can be adjusted to fit a wrist from 14.6cm to 23cm.
Box and Papers
Although there are no original papers with this watch, the reference numbers, markings, signatures and hallmarks are all correct, dating this watch to 1929.
Detailed particulars will be included with our purchase receipt for your interest and security. A separate insurance valuation for the replacement value of this watch will also be provided at the time of sale along with our unique ‘Lifetime Authenticity Guarantee’ which states: “If this watch proves to be anything less than 100% genuine, authentic and original, a full refund will be given at any time”.
This watch comes complete with a jeweller’s presentation box.
Payment and Delivery
If you would like to pay by bank transfer, we will be pleased to assist you with this. Similarly, if you wish to pay by International SWIFT or Bank Wire Transfer we will provide you with our BIC / Swift number and our IBAN number.
Please check the import duties and any taxes your government may apply, these are different for each country and, unfortunately, out of our control.
We understand there may be some ‘loopholes’ that may help you avoid these charges; however, attempting to use these could impact our ongoing ability to serve our growing international customer base.
For those who happen to visit London on occasion, we are, of course, more than happy to store your watch until we can meet you in our offices in Kensington, London, and hand your watch directly to you there.
As with all our watches, this watch will be sold under our 14 days no-quibble sale or return policy.
In Conclusion
This beautiful vintage 18ct white gold ladies Vacheron Constantin dress watch is in superb original condition and also from horology’s most famous name. It will provide an excellent financial investment as well as be something to wear, treasure and enjoy and make the perfect evening wear dress watch as well as a practical, highly accurate and reliable timepiece to use on an everyday basis. Although this is one of our more expensive watches, its quality will be remembered for long after its purchase price will be forgotten.
A word on our prices – We always try our hardest to acquire the very highest quality watches we can find, before restoring them to the highest possible standards. We then offer these at the fairest prices we can, taking into account our pre and post-sales care and service. This approach means we will never be the cheapest, but nor will we be the most expensive. Indeed there are some well-known stores in West London which are highly successful charging between two to three times the price you see here. We, therefore, consider our prices to be fair, given the quality of watches we have to offer.
Please note, we also welcome part exchanges. If you have a watch or a small collection for sale, please contact us as we will be happy to discuss this.
We will also be happy to Service your watch, Repair your watch or Restore your watch, all at ‘sensible’ prices. Please see here.
If you have any questions please call us on 020 7727 7095 or if calling from overseas on +44 207 727 7095.
Please take a look at our other fine vintage gold watches.
Thank you.
Andrew M via feefo 
3rd December 2024 
JLC1891 
