
Wristwatches · Wristwatch
Vacheron Constantin Wristwatch, Ref. 33038, circa 1990
- Maker / attribution
- Vacheron Constantin (maker)
- Date
- c. 1990
- Historical period
- Mechanical Renaissance (1990 – 2010)
- Country of origin
- Switzerland
- Object type
- Wristwatch
- Auction house
- LiveAuctioneers auction archive
- Lot
- Item 35252790
- Credit line
- Auction lot record: lot 36, Luxury Items & Treasures, Auctionata Paddle 8 AG (2015), via LiveAuctioneers
- Catalogue title (original)
- Vacheron Constantin Wristwatch, Ref. 33038, circa 1990 (English)
View the source record (auction lot) ↗ (opens another website in a new tab)Suggest a correction
Record summary
Catalogued by LiveAuctioneers auction archive (lot Item 35252790), this is a wristwatch by Vacheron Constantin, made in Switzerland, dated c. 1990. The Atlas places it in the Mechanical Renaissance period (1990 – 2010) of its Wristwatches collection. The record is illustrated with 4 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
Lot description — Auctionata Paddle 8 AG
Vacheron Constantin wristwatch, ref. 33038 Switzerland, around 1990 Manual wind movement, calibre 1003; 17 jewels, hour, minute Gilt dial and hands Watch case and original pin buckle made of 18K gold Original black leather strap Watch case no. 546269; movement no. 715074 Watch case and clasp are hallmarked Original warranty Case size: 24 x 31 mm; height: 4 mm Length of strap: 21 cm; lugs width: 14 mm Total weight: circa 30 grams Fully functional, very good condition with minor traces of wear, Store price ca. 7.000 EUR This Vacheron Constantin wristwatch, ref. 33038, was made in Switzerland around 1990. The watch is fitted with a manual wind movement calibre 1003 with 17 jewels and displays the hour and the minute. The gilt dial bears gilt hands. The watch case and the original pin buckle are made of 18k gold. The watch features the original black leather strap. The watch case number is 546269. The movement number is 715074. The watch case and the clasp are hallmarked. The watch case size is 24 x 31 mm. The height is 4 mm. The strap is 21 cm long. The watch weighs circa 30 grams. The timepiece is in very good condition with minor traces of wear. During in house testing it was fully functional. Long-term precision and regularity cannot be guaranteed. The store price is ca. 7.000 €. The watch ships with the original warranty. Size and weight may deviate from the manufacturer’s indication. All watches are hand-measured and weighed. Should this lot contain property from endangered species, these elements will not be shipped. This only applies to prospective non-EU customers if a species conservation certificate is missing. Shipping costs excl. statutory VAT and plus 2,5% (+VAT) shipping insurance.
Historical context
Mechanical Renaissance (1990 – 2010)
Mechanical watches return as cultural objects; independent watchmaking flourishes.
Mechanical watches returned as cultural and luxury objects. Complications, tourbillons and new materials proliferated; independent watchmakers such as George Daniels, F.P. Journe and Philippe Dufour revived artisanal watchmaking; collecting vintage watches became a major field.
Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Quartz Revolution
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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