
Pocket Watches · Pocket watch
Vacheron Constantin 18ct Yellow Gold Dress Pocket Watch, c. 1920s
- Maker / attribution
- Vacheron Constantin (maker)
- Date
- c. 1920s
- Historical period
- Golden Age of Mechanical Watchmaking (1900 – 1945)
- Country of origin
- Switzerland
- Object type
- Pocket watch
- Materials / technique
- gold
- Dealer
- WatchMuseum.org shop
- Stock no.
- Product 3107
- Credit line
- Dealer listing, WatchMuseum.org shop (product 3107)
- Catalogue title (original)
- Vacheron Constantin 18ct Yellow Gold Dress Pocket Watch (English)
View the source record (dealer listing) ↗ (opens another website in a new tab)Suggest a correction
Record summary
Catalogued by WatchMuseum.org shop (stock number Product 3107), this is a pocket watch by Vacheron Constantin, made in Switzerland, dated c. 1920s. The Atlas places it in the Golden Age of Mechanical Watchmaking period (1900 – 1945) of its Pocket Watches collection. Materials and techniques recorded by the source: gold. The record is illustrated with 6 photographs.
Assembled from the source record's structured fields. Dates and attributions are given as the source states them; where a field is missing the Atlas leaves it blank rather than estimating.
Catalogue description
Dealer description — WatchMuseum.org shop
Step back in time with the exquisite Vacheron Constantin 18ct Yellow Gold Dress Pocket Watch from the 1920s, a true testament to the opulence and precision of early 20th-century Swiss watchmaking. This remarkable timepiece features a pristine white enamel dial, meticulously signed by Vacheron & Constantin Geneva, adorned with bold black Arabic numerals, an outer minute track, and a subsidiary seconds dial positioned at six o’clock. The original blued steel Fleur-de-Lis style hands, along with the blued steel seconds hand, enhance the watch’s sophisticated aesthetic. Encased in luxurious 18ct yellow gold, the plain case back opens to reveal a silver gold plated inner cuvette, fully signed and numbered, as is the Swiss gold hallmarked case back. The movement, a marvel of horological engineering, is nickel finished, fully jeweled, and features a compensation balance and Breguet overcoil hairspring, underscoring the watch’s exceptional craftsmanship. In excellent condition, this pocket watch appears like new old stock and comes with its original box, adding to its historical allure. Accompanied by a note indicating it was sold by Ditta G Salvadori Venezia, this piece is not just a timekeeper but a slice of history, making it a coveted addition to any discerning collector’s ensemble. Introducing a stunning Vacheron & Constantin 18ct yellow gold keyless lever dress pocket watch from the 1920s. This piece boasts an excellent white enamel dial, fully signed by Vacheron & Constantin Geneva, with black Arabic numerals, an outer minute track, and a subsidiary seconds dial at six o’clock. The original blued steel Fleur-de-Lis style hands add a touch of elegance to the piece, along with the blued steel seconds hand. The 18ct yellow gold case with a plain case back opens to reveal a silver gold plated inner cuvette, fully signed and numbered, as is the Swiss gold hallmarked case back. The superb nickel finished, fully jewelled, signed and numbered movement features a compensation balance and Breguet overcoil hairspring, adding to the watch’s impressive craftsmanship. This watch is in excellent condition, appearing like new old stock, and would make an exceptional addition to any collection. Accompanied by its original box, the watch also includes a note that it was sold by Ditta G Salvadori Venezia. Don’t miss out on the chance to own such a remarkable piece of history. Creator: Vacheron Constantin Case Material: 18k Gold,Yellow Gold Case Shape: Round Case Dimensions: Diameter: 48 mm (1.89 in) Place of Origin: Switzerland Period: Early 20th Century Date of Manufacture: 1920 Condition: Excellent. In original box.
Historical context
Golden Age of Mechanical Watchmaking (1900 – 1945)
The wristwatch displaces the pocket watch; waterproof cases, self-winding and grand complications.
The pocket watch reached technical maturity and then began to give way to the wristwatch after the First World War. Complicated watches for collectors such as Henry Graves Jr. and James Ward Packard, railroad watches, and slim Art Deco dress watches are characteristic.
Read the period in the timelineMore pocket watches from this periodEarlier: Industrial Revolution
Atlas type guide
Pocket watches
The pocket watch was the dominant personal timekeeper from the late seventeenth century until the First World War. Its development tracks the history of the escapement: verge watches with fusees until the late eighteenth century; Thomas Mudge's lever escapement (c. 1755) and the cylinder escapement popularised by George Graham and later by Swiss makers; and the Swiss and English lever watches of the nineteenth century. Lépine's bar-bridge calibre and keyless winding made watches thinner and easier to use.
Industrialisation transformed the trade: American factories such as Waltham (from 1850) and Elgin produced interchangeable parts by machine, and Swiss makers responded with their own mechanisation after the 1876 Philadelphia Exhibition. By 1900 a reliable watch was affordable to millions; the finest makers continued to produce complications and precision watches.
What to look for
- The escapement: verge (crown wheel), cylinder, duplex, English or Swiss lever.
- Key winding (a square arbor in dial or back) or keyless crown winding.
- Signatures and serial numbers on the movement, dial and inside case back.
- Hallmarks, case maker's marks and gold or silver standards stamped in the case.
- Dial material: enamel, silver, gold, later printed metal.
Dating clues
- Verge watches dominate before c. 1800; cylinder watches c. 1770–1900; lever watches after c. 1820.
- Keyless winding: increasingly common after c. 1860.
- Manufacturer serial number lists exist for Waltham, Elgin, Longines, Omega, Patek Philippe and others.
General guidance written by the Atlas editors about this kind of object. It is not a statement about this particular piece; for that, rely on the source record above and on physical examination.
Read next:Verge escapementDetached lever escapementFuseeIdentification Centre
Related records
Pocket Watches · c. 1896
Vacheron Constantin “grand TIR de L’exposition Nationale, Genève 1896, c. 1896
Antiquorum auction archive, Geneva
Pocket Watches · c. 1940
Vacheron Constantin pocket watch, ref. 345, c. 1940
Antiquorum auction archive, Geneva
Pocket Watches · c. 1945
Vacheron Constantin pocket chronometer, c. 1945
Antiquorum auction archive, Geneva
Pocket Watches · c. 1945
Vacheron Constantin watch, c. 1945
Antiquorum auction archive, Geneva
Pocket Watches · c. 1900
Patek Philippe Chronometro Gondolo, c. 1900
Antiquorum auction archive, Geneva
Pocket Watches · c. 1900
Pocket watch by A. Sandoz-Boucherin, Switzerland, c. 1900
German Clock Museum
Pocket Watches · 1900
Pocket watch by Armand Schwob & Frère, Switzerland, 1900
Science Museum Group, London
Pocket Watches · c. 1900
Pocket watch by Vve. Chs. Léon Schmid und Cie, Switzerland, c. 1900
German Clock Museum
