Vacheron Constantin ‘Les Historiques’ Ref.37001 18ct White Gold c1997

Vacheron & Constantin

One of the recognised ‘Holy Trinity’ of Swiss watchmaking along with Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet, Vacheron & Constantin is also the world’s oldest ‘Watch Manufacture’, and as such, it has remained in continuous operation since 1755. More than this, Vacheron & Constantin is the founding father of a spirit of technical excellence taken so far, it is considered an art. This is known as ‘Haute Horlogerie’ in which Vacheron & Constantin has been the 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’.

Created in 1886 the ‘Seal of the State of Geneva’ is the highest accolade, reserved for only the very finest quality watchmaking. Vacheron & Constantin was the first watchmaker to be allowed to use this hallmark of excellence on its movements. This, along with its extraordinarily high standards of quality and manufacture, lead many watchmakers, horologists and watch industry experts to believe Vacheron & Constantin reigns supreme among the finest quality watch manufacturers of the world.

To the collector, Vacheron & Constantin offers a level of exclusivity which even the more famous Patek Philippe cannot. 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. This means that while it produced a variety of dial and case combinations, colours and designs, each one was strictly limited in number. For the collector, the fact that these watches are seriously undervalued doesn’t go unnoticed either.

Description

The ‘Les Historiques’  is a heritage model made by Vacheron & Constantin to celebrate a much earlier model which was re-created in 1997.

This is a truly outstanding and rare design from Vacheron & Constantin with stand out 1 – 12, standard Arabic numerals over a completely original, unrestored and untouched white dial. This is Vacheron Constantin model reference 37001/000G with a Calibre 1132 hand-wound movement in a beautiful 30mm x 37mm, 18ct white gold tonneau case.

This watch will make the perfect watch for office use or evening wear. It has received a full inspection and service, and a gentle hand-polish by our restoration team.

The Dial

In addition to its very fine movements, Vacheron & Constantin is widely renowned for the quality and elegance of its watch dials. Here we have a truly incredible, completely original, unrestored and untouched white dial with wonderful bold, black standard Arabic numerals which are swept by the original black ‘leaf’ hands. This dial may seem simple, but will look remarkable on the wrist.

The dial is very simply signed ‘Vacheron Constantin’ and ‘Genève’ at the top, along with ‘Swiss Made’ at the bottom. Simple style and class personified.

This dial is original and unrestored and has been left untouched by our restoration team due to its superb condition. Usually, we restore the dials of the watches we sell, however we decided in this case to leave it alone, due to its unusually good condition and to retain its originality and charm for those who prefer this. 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 untouched 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 Vacheron Calibre 1132, 20 jewel hand-wound movement here was highly successful and was also used in the Vacheron Constantin reference 37001/000G 8636.

This example is in amazing condition having just completed a full overhaul and service by our vintage Vacheron & Constantin specialist watchmaker. It is running perfectly and has been calibrated in 5 positions to run within +7 seconds per day which is truly outstanding for any mechanical watch and has been checked and confirmed on our electronic watch timegrapher. This movement also has a power reserve of 45 hours when fully wound which is within expectations for this movement.

With care and regular servicing, we would fully expect this watch to continue to run very happily for many more decades to come. We are therefore totally confident in offering this watch with our 12 months’ written warranty*.

The movement is signed ‘Vacheron & Constantin’, ‘Geneve Swiss’ and ’20 Jewels’ with the Calibre number 1132.

*Please note – our 12 months’ warranty is only applicable if the list price is paid.

The Watch Case

Vacheron & Constantin has been, from its very early beginnings, the torchbearer of Haute Horlogerie. This is reflected not only in its movements, but also in its watch cases.

This case is a very high quality 18ct white gold watch case and perfectly sized, measuring 30mm in diameter, excluding the correct Vacheron & Constantin signed crown and 37mm from top to bottom. This may seem like a small watch but in fact, when measured across the diagonal, including the lugs, it measures a large 49mm. The watch case is in tip-top condition and even the case-back looks pristine.

The case and the case-back are in superb condition with no marks or scratches visible to the naked eye. The watch has been beautifully well cared for and after a close inspection has simply required a careful clean and a gentle polish to bring it back to its current, almost as new condition.

On the exterior, the case-back is signed ‘Vacheron Constantin’ and ‘1912’ with the model reference number 586/1912 and the case serial number 692332.

As ever, our standard advice applies: vintage watches should be kept clean and dry at all times.

The Strap & Buckle

This watch is fitted with a genuine Vacheron Constantin black leather strap along with a solid 18ct white gold buckle. However, if a different colour or style of strap is preferred, please let us know and we will do our best to oblige free of charge. We carry tan, conker, dark brown and black in stock in plain padded leather, crocodile skin or lizard skin. We can also obtain most types and colours from our partners at ‘Watch Obsession’ within 48hrs. Please take a look at their huge range of straps if you wish here.

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 c1997.

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 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 black presentation box included.

Payment and Delivery

If you would like to pay by bank transfer, we will be pleased to assist you with this and pass on a 3% saving to you. Paying by bank transfer for a 3% saving will not affect your 12 months warranty. 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

An exceptional and collectable gentleman’s dress watch from one of horology’s most revered names. This will not only make an excellent dress watch, but also a practical, accurate and reliable timepiece to use on a daily basis should you so wish. It will provide an excellent investment as well as be something to use, wear, treasure and enjoy!

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.