Description

A slim open-face pocket watch by Vacheron & Constantin, Genève, in 18-karat yellow gold, one of the great Genevan maison’s quietly distinguished mid-century productions. The case measures 48mm in diameter and houses calibre 439/7C, a 17-jewel manually-wound pocket movement adjusted for precision and signed in full. The dial is a matte silver pie-pan with a single sunken subsidiary seconds register, gold numerals at the quarters, and applied arrow markers throughout. Triple-signed on dial, movement, and inside the case, this watch represents everything that made Vacheron & Constantin the standard-bearer of Haute Horlogerie in the 1940s.

Vacheron & Constantin and the Art of the Dress Pocket Watch

Founded in Geneva in 1755, Vacheron & Constantin holds the distinction of being the world’s oldest continuously operating watch manufacturer, a maison that has never ceased production in nearly three centuries. By the 1940s, the brand occupied a position in horology that is difficult to overstate: it was the maker to whom collectors, diplomats, and patrons of the arts turned when they wanted a timepiece that expressed taste rather than merely wealth. Where Patek Philippe was the better-known name, Vacheron & Constantin was the connoisseur’s choice, and remains so today among those who look closely.

The pocket watch production of this period is particularly admired. Vacheron & Constantin produced open-face dress watches in yellow, white, and rose gold with a discipline that prioritised the quality of the movement and the purity of the dial over decorative flourish. During the 1940s and through to the 1960s, Vacheron & Constantin only ever produced a maximum of 24 examples of each reference in any one configuration, meaning these watches were always intimate objects, produced in the spirit of a small workshop rather than a commercial enterprise. The result, for the collector today, is that a well-preserved example in original condition represents genuine rarity.

The Cal. 439/7C is among the finer pocket movements of the era: 17 jewels, adjusted, pendant-set, and finished to the standard that earned Vacheron its reputation. That the movement, case, and dial are all triple-signed; a standard applied only to watches Vacheron & Constantin considered completely worthy of its name, is the final confirmation of this watch’s pedigree.

The Slim Open-Face Case and Pie-Pan Dial

The open-face case is in the Lépine configuration: clean, round, without a hunter cover, designed to be read at a glance from a waistcoat pocket. At 48mm, the case has genuine presence, yet the slim profile keeps it from feeling heavy or archaic. This is a watch that translates easily to modern wear as a jacket pocket piece. The snap-on caseback is marked “18K” and “0.750” with hallmarks inside.

The pie-pan case shape, where the dial sits in a shallow, dish-like depression within the bezel, was one of Vacheron & Constantin’s signature treatments of the mid-century period, lending the dial a three-dimensional quality that flat cases cannot achieve. Combined with the engine-turned subsidiary seconds register, the effect is one of precise, unhurried craftsmanship.

The Dial

The matte silver dial sits in a gentle pie-pan depression that gives it depth and shadow at the edges. Applied gold numerals mark the quarters – 12, 3, 6, 9 – with finely formed gold arrow markers filling the remaining hours. Gold stick hands sit over the silvered surface with clean legibility. The subsidiary seconds dial at 6 o’clock is engine-turned, set sunken into the main surface. In hand and in light, this is a dial of considerable quiet beauty.

Specifications

Brand: Vacheron & Constantin

Model: Slim Open-Face Pocket Watch, Manual Wind

Year: circa 1940s

Case material: 18k yellow gold

Case diameter: approx. 48 mm

Bezel: Plain polished gold open-face bezel

Dial: Matte silver pie-pan dial, applied gold numerals (quarters), gold arrow markers, engine-turned subsidiary seconds

Strap: Watch only (pocket watch – no chain or strap included)

Movement: Manual wind (Cal. 439/7C, 17 jewels, adjusted, pendant-set)

Condition: Good vintage condition with light signs of wear consistent with age

Accessories: Watch only (no box or papers)

Warranty: 1 year warranty

Availability

This vintage day-date automatic watch is available through Vintage Times Amsterdam.

For further information or high-resolution images, please feel free to contact:

Vintage Times

Vintage Times Amsterdam is a small watch boutique who mainly deals online and with a select group of private collectors. We are constantly looking for rare vintage timepieces and try to present the best condition available. Please don’t hesitate to get in contact for more information about this watch or other timepieces from our collection. We ship worldwide and also welcome you for a visit at our office in Amsterdam.

Vintage Times

email: [email protected]

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