Vacheron Constantin Minute-Repeating Chronograph Open-Faced Pocket Watch
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
1903
Maker / issuer
Vacheron ConstantinThis open-faced pocket watch by Vacheron Constantin dates to 1903 according to an included Extract from the Archives and combines a minute repeater with a chronograph.
Housed in an 18K yellow gold demi-bassine case measuring 49 mm in diameter, the timepiece is powered by the manual-wind calibre RA17'"I movement recorded under number 324'133. The white enamel dial is styled with painted black Breguet numerals, an outer calibrated track, blued steel hands, a 30-minute register at 12 o'clock, and constant sub-seconds at 6 o'clock.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Technical characteristics
- Type
- Repeating watch
- Year
- 1903
- Calibre
- Manual, cal. RA17’”I
- Material
- 18K yellow gold
- Dimensions
- 49mm diameter
- Case Number
- 196’444
- Manufacturer
- Vacheron Constantin
- Place recorded
- Switzerland
- Movement Number
- 324’133
- Maker / attribution
- Vacheron Constantin
Design
- Visible features
- • White enamel dial with painted black Breguet numerals • Blued steel Breguet hands and blued chronograph hands • Winding crown and bow located at 12 o'clock • Repeater slide visible on the left case flank • Two subsidiary dials vertically aligned at 12 and 6 o'clock
- Dial Configuration and Hands
- The watch features a white enamel dial marked with painted black Breguet numerals and blued steel hands. Front observations confirm blued steel Breguet hands for hours and minutes, along with blued chronograph register hands. Two subsidiary dials are arranged vertically on the dial: a 30-minute chronograph totalizer positioned below 12 o'clock and a continuous seconds register at 6 o'clock. The dial is also catalogued by the auction house as being signed by the maker.
- Reported Movement and Archival Dating
- While not shown in the primary photograph, the movement is catalogued as the manual-wind calibre RA17'"I featuring a blued steel balance spring. The mechanism provides minute-repeating and chronograph complications, and bears movement number 324'133. Accompanying the watch is a Vacheron Constantin Extract from the Archives confirming 1903 as the date of manufacture. The movement is recorded as signed by the manufacturer.
- Case Construction and Exterior Hardware
- The open-faced pocket watch is cased in 18K yellow gold measuring 49 mm in diameter, described in the auction cataloguing as having a "demi-bassine" profile. Exterior hardware visible in front observation includes a winding crown and suspension bow situated at 12 o'clock, with an elongated slide for the repeating mechanism located on the left case flank. The catalog notes that the movement is accessed underneath a hinged caseback, though the reverse is not visible in the primary front photograph. Case number 196'444 is recorded in the lot specifications, and the case is catalogued as signed.
Identification
- Serial number
- 196'444
- Source note
- Facts transcribed from the linked source listing or collection record. Attribution and specifications are source-reported and have not been independently authenticated.
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.
Research required
- Research required: Movement and hinged caseback are not visible in the provided image; movement details and case number rely on auction source records