
Wristwatches · Wristwatch
Vacheron Constantin Harmony, 1980s
- Maker / attribution
- Vacheron Constantin (maker)
- Date
- 1980s
- Historical period
- Quartz Revolution (1969 – 1990)
- Country of origin
- Switzerland
- Object type
- Wristwatch
- Stock no.
- 40993318
- Credit line
- Dealer listing, Analog/Shift (40993318)
- Catalogue title (original)
- Vacheron Constantin Harmony (English)
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Record summary
Catalogued by Analog/Shift (dealer), New York (stock number 40993318), this is a wristwatch by Vacheron Constantin, made in Switzerland, dated 1980s. The Atlas places it in the Quartz Revolution period (1969 – 1990) of its Wristwatches collection. 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
Vacheron Constantin may be most recognized today for the Overseas collection, but VC has a history that looks way further back than the 70s and the integrated bracelet trend. In fact, Vacheron has been making killer watches since 1755, a legacy that’s tough to match. At Analog:Shift, we often get incredible pieces from Vacheron’s history that remind us of that rich multi-century legacy. Take this exceptional Tank-like piece, for example. Dating to the 1980s, this yellow gold piece is set with a full pave dial and pave settings down every horizontal link of the integrated bracelet design. Amazing. With no indices or clutter added to the dial whatsoever, this piece is powered by a period-appropriate quartz movement preserving its thin case profile. For the money, it is hard to imagine getting a more unique watch that speaks so characteristically to an important time in the watch industry’s history. This watch is in excellent condition for its age, and deserves in the collection of someone that appreciates its rare appeal and distinguished aesthetics.
Historical context
Quartz Revolution (1969 – 1990)
Seiko's Astron begins mass quartz timekeeping; traditional industries contract sharply.
Quartz and digital watches transformed the market after 1969. Swiss employment collapsed, Japanese and Hong Kong production soared, and the Swatch (1983) helped the Swiss industry recover; mechanical watches survived as luxury goods.
Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Modern Mechanical Horology
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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