[ad_1]
While we’ve seen the concept of an auction catalog “cover lot” upended a bit over the last few years as online catalogs have supplanted the physical paper tomes for many collectors, we still see the big players each make a seasonal push to have one major talking point heading into each auction. For the upcoming Phillips Geneva Watch Auction: Nine, that watch is undoubtedly the Vacheron Constantin that you see here. So what is it exactly that you’re looking at right now? The answer’s complicated.
It was a little over a month ago that Phillips announced it would be selling this watch and I gave you a pretty in-depth report on the background, context, and watch then. However, since then, I’ve had a chance to chat with the folks at Phillips and see the watch in the metal, giving me a slightly better understanding of what this watch is, why it’s meaningful, and how it came to be up for public auction.
The short version of the story is this: In 1935, a collector named Francisco Martinez Llano ordered a custom minute repeater with retrograde calendar complication from Vacheron Constantin through Madrid retailer Brooking. In early 1940 the watch was delivered to him in South America and it remained with the family ever since. The only outside evidence of this watch was a lone black-and-white photograph found in a book published in 1992. Last year, Phillips Watches’ Aurel Bacs found the watch and worked with Vacheron Constantin to have it brought back to working order and properly documented. Now it’s hitting the auction block. (If you want to know more, check out that original story liked to above.)
Seeing this watch in the metal was like stepping into a horological time machine. Everything about this watch screams of days long forgotten. The shape of the case, the claw-shaped lugs, the crown set at 12 o’clock, and the charming mix of fonts and numeral styles on the dial – they all speak to a particular and idiosyncratic way of making watches by hand that would be hard to replicate today (and that assumes any watchmaker, let alone one of Vacheron’s stature, would want to replicate them too). As Phillips noted in the original press release, the condition of the case is unreal too. Everything is crisp, original finishes appear to be intact, and there aren’t really any visible traces of a polishing wheel. From the monogram on the back to the shape of the repeater slide, everything looks just like it probably did in January 1940 when Llano took delivery of the extremely unusual keeper.
Now, you’re probably wondering why a watch in “original” condition has such a bright, clean dial. that’s because the dial currently mounted on the watch is a replacement created by Vacheron Constantin to the original spec during the restoration process. The original radium dial is also included, and looking at it you can probably guess why Phillips and Vacheron would want to fit it with something a little more pristine before showing off their find. One additional thing to note here is that the lone black-and-white photo of this watch actually shows it with a different dial and handset. According to VC’s records, the watch was delivered with two options, the dressier version with pomme-style hands and no lume seen in the photo and this slightly sportier version with large luminous numerals and ladder-style hands.
Now, I’ll admit, this is kind of a weird scenario. Typically, we here at HODINKEE wouldn’t be too keen on highlighting watches with replacement dials, unusual provenance, and not-so-straightforward documentation. However, considering that Vacheron themselves are involved and have the paper trail on their end to confirm things like the two-dial delivery, I think any potential buyers can feel pretty safe about this one.
But now for the important part: wearing this watch. On the wrist, this thing is a dream. The tonneau case works particularly well with a crown at 12 o’clock; without the crown protruding from the right side of the case, you can really appreciate the streamlined, somewhat Deco lines. The slide does stick out a bit, but it’s very subtle and doesn’t affect comfort or the overall look of the watch, in my opinion. It’s sort of the ultimate stealth signifier too. If you know, you know, and seeing a slide tells you that someone has something pretty darn serious on. Legibility is great, and despite the relatively densely packed text on the dial (the retailer signature, long brand signature, and retrograde numerals do take up quite a bit of space) the watch doesn’t look cluttered or clumsy. I seriously hope that whoever buys this watch wears it. It would be a real shame to let something like this spend another few decades in a safe.
Ultimately, with a watch like this, there are two ways to look at it. This piece is either a once-in-a-lifetime find that represents a very unique period in watchmaking history or a strange curiosity with a questionable history that should be approached with caution. And, in fact, it would be totally fair to see it as some combination of the two. I think the sort of collector who is going to be raising his or her paddle for this in Geneva next month is part of a sort of self-selecting group. You need to be pretty astute to understand why this watch is special and you need to have already experienced quite a number of things to arrive at this point of interest in the first place. And if you’re there, then you have to ask yourself which boxes are checked and which are left with question marks.
I’m extremely curious to see what kind of interest is generated in this watch and what the fervor is like come auction weekend. I’m sure we’ll get the usual bit of theatrics and spectacle that we’re used to from Phillips, and it’s bound to make for a very interesting final outcome when the hammer drops.
Phillips Geneva Watch Auction: Nine is taking place in Geneva on Saturday, May 11, 2019. This Vacheron Constantin is lot 109 and it carries an estimate of CHF 400,000 to 800,000. You can also see the full catalog for the sale here.
[ad_2]
Source link