Vacheron Constantin

While we wait to see what new treasures are acquired during this month's auction festival, I'm pleased to share a Ref. 4166 men's dress watch from 1945. It ticked many items on my wish list, including; pink gold case to match up with a PG bracelet I had l...  

This is such a nice watch. Now all you need to know is the history of the watch... Wear it in good health ! Berny

It's great that you finally have a watch for the bracelet. Dean, they do make a tonneau movement for a tonneau watch. There is only the matter of the $178K it takes to get it. :-) Bill

So if they have a shaped blank, could it not be adapted for use with a "normal" escapement? Oh I know, the cost blah blah...at least we have vintage ;-)

I really enjoy getting some insight into your thought process for selecting vintage pieces like this one -- I learn a lot about the things to look for and the decisions that have to be made. Usually we struggle to find the right strap for a watch. In this... 

of people who buy a pocket watch to fit an empty box they have? I'd be tempted ;-)

I can imagine the Swiss 18K case was important in giving it the best possible chance of matching the color of the pink gold formulation with that marvelous bracelet. Great match up, and now you have more options when you don't want to carry a watch, ;-) B... 

still find the "wrist weights" appealling too ;-)

Best regards, Baxter

The font of signature made of enamel or black print ? If the font made of enamel process, likely to be made by Stern Freres. I'm not sure if any other factories offered similar dials.

what you mean by "enamel process"? Are you referring to vitreous enamel fired onto a metal base, or so-called enamel paint applied with a pad like ink?

The markings on the wrist watches you've posted below, that aren't applied gold, are either hard enamel or engraved en réserve and filled with a black charcoal-based wax. Sometimes you can tell which from a photo, sometimes you can't. If enamel, they are ... 

Because I haven't seen the actual object, my question is just question may seem tricky, but after careful consideration. The discussion on fonts was inspired by my friends who manage porcelain. Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty, who reigned for 60 years... 

After 1938 (when V&C collaborated with JLC), V&C still used stock tonneau shape caliber until early 1940s.After that time, beginning caliber 435 based on ebauche from JLC. Many models which used caliber435 in 1940s-1950s ,used vitrous enamel fired font di...