
Pocket Watches · Pocket watch
Vacheron Constantin Gold Lever Pocket Watch, 1920s
- Maker / attribution
- Vacheron Constantin (maker)
- Date
- 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 4401
- Credit line
- Dealer listing, WatchMuseum.org shop (product 4401)
- Catalogue title (original)
- Vacheron Constantin Gold Lever 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 4401), this is a pocket watch by Vacheron Constantin, made in Switzerland, dated 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 Gold Lever Pocket Watch from the 1920s, a true marvel of horological craftsmanship and Art Deco elegance. This stunning timepiece, crafted from 18k yellow gold, features a dial that is nothing short of a masterpiece. Fully signed by Vacheron & Constantin, the dial boasts a silver satin finish adorned with gold Breguet numerals and outer gold minute dots, while the subsidiary seconds dial is gracefully positioned at six o’clock. The hour and minute hands are uniquely designed in a gold cathedral style, complemented by a gold-colored seconds hand. The case, also fully signed, numbered, and Swiss Hallmarked, showcases a plain gold design with a snap-on plain case back, ensuring easy access to the movement. Inside, you’ll find a high-quality, nickel-finished, fully-jeweled movement with an unusual slow-fast Micrometre regulation, exemplifying the meticulous attention to detail for which Vacheron Constantin is renowned. With a round 42 mm diameter case, this manual wind pocket watch is not only a functional timepiece but also a collector’s dream, embodying the sophistication and artistry of the 1920s. Its excellent condition further underscores its timeless appeal, making it a coveted addition for any horology enthusiast or collector. Presenting a stunning Vacheron Constantin pocket watch from the 1920s, crafted from 18k yellow gold. The dial is a work of art, fully signed by Vacheron & Constantin and featuring a silver satin finish, gold Breguet numerals, and outer gold minute dots. The subsidiary seconds dial is located at six o’clock, while the hour and minute hands are an unusual gold cathedral style with a gold-colored seconds hand. The case is also fully signed, numbered, and Swiss Hallmarked, boasting a plain gold design with a snap-on plain case back for easy access to the movement. Speaking of the movement, it’s a high-quality nickel-finished, fully-jeweled masterpiece featuring an unusual slow-fast Micrometre regulation. This pocket watch is a true gem from the Art Deco era, a testament to the fine craftsmanship and attention to detail that Vacheron Constantin is renowned for. It’s a piece that any horology collector or enthusiast would be proud to add to their collection. Creator: Vacheron Constantin Case Material: 18k Gold,Yellow Gold Case Shape: Round Movement: Manual Wind Case Dimensions: Diameter: 42 mm (1.66 in) Place of Origin: Switzerland Period: 1920-1929 Date of Manufacture: C1920s Condition: Excellent
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
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