
Wristwatches · Wristwatch
Vacheron Constantin 18k Thin Case Dress Watch, 1960s
- Maker / attribution
- Vacheron Constantin (maker)
- Date
- 1960s
- Historical period
- Modern Mechanical Horology (1945 – 1969)
- Country of origin
- Switzerland
- Object type
- Wristwatch
- Dimensions
- Case 33 mm
- Stock no.
- 40991687
- Credit line
- Dealer listing, Analog/Shift (40991687)
- Catalogue title (original)
- Vacheron Constantin 18k Thin Case Dress Watch (English)
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Record summary
Catalogued by Analog/Shift (dealer), New York (stock number 40991687), this is a wristwatch by Vacheron Constantin, made in Switzerland, dated 1960s. The Atlas places it in the Modern Mechanical Horology period (1945 – 1969) of its Wristwatches collection. Recorded dimensions: Case 33 mm. 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 — Analog/Shift
The Holy Trinity of watch brands: Audemars Piguet, Patek Philippe, and Vacheron Constantin. Generally less understood than either of its respected compatriots, Vacheron Constantin has a legacy of producing some of the very finest high horology complications in history - and some of the loveliest. Sports watches came later to VC, as pressure from the new 'Sports Luxury' category introduced in the early 1970s forced the storied brand to evolve - but historically, classically styled dress pieces is where Vacheron cut their teeth. This particular example, a Reference 7811, dates to the 1960s and features a 33mm thin 18k yellow gold case with a polished bezel and satin champagne dial with printed Roman indices and matching 'pencil' handset. Powered by Vacheron's hand-cranking Calibre K 1014 movement, it comes fitted to a lovely period aftermarket 18k woven bracelet with locking clasp. With its timeless looks and Vacheron's extensive pedigree, this is a great opportunity to snag an excellent heirloom-quality vintage timepiece from one of the very best in the business!
Historical context
Modern Mechanical Horology (1945 – 1969)
Tool watches for divers, pilots and astronauts; electric watches anticipate the electronic age.
The classic era of the mechanical wristwatch: dive watches, chronographs for motor racing and space flight, GMT watches for jet travel, slim dress watches, automatic calendars, and the rise of Japanese manufacturers alongside Swiss, American, German and Soviet industries.
Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Golden Age of Mechanical Watchmaking
Atlas type guide
Wristwatches
Bracelet watches were worn by women from the early nineteenth century — Breguet made one for Caroline Murat, Queen of Naples, in 1810–12 — but the wristwatch only became a man's instrument with military use and aviation in the early twentieth century. Between the World Wars it overtook the pocket watch; the 1920s and 1930s brought rectangular Art Deco cases, water-resistant cases and the first automatic winding systems.
After 1945 the wristwatch became a carrier of identity — dress watches, sports and dive watches, chronographs, calendars — produced by Swiss, American, Japanese, German, Soviet and Chinese industries. The quartz revolution after 1969 and the mechanical renaissance since the 1990s, including the rise of independent watchmakers, complete the story.
What to look for
- The reference number (between the lugs or inside the case back) and serial number, the starting point for dating.
- The calibre: its maker and number are often stamped under the dial or on the bridge.
- Originality of dial, hands and crown — refinished ('redial') dials are common.
- Case material marks: 18K/750, 14K/585, stainless steel, gold-filled, plated.
Dating clues
- Wire-lug cases: before c. 1925.
- Water-resistant screw-down cases: from 1926.
- Quartz movements: from 1969; sapphire crystals widespread after c. 1980.
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.
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