Vacheron Constantin for Cartier

Vacheron Constantin for Cartier

New York retailed

A yellow gold square wristwatch with part-hooded lugs, Circa 1945

Dial: silvered dial signed Cartier Paris, applied gold Arabic numerals, outer minute track, square subsidiary seconds, pointed baton hands

Calibre: 9¾’’’ calibre V458 signed Vacheron Constantin, damascened Côtes de Genève decoration, lever escapement, 17 jewels, annular balance with poising screws, Breguet hairspring

Movement number: main plate numbered 465'098 and with US import code VXN

Case: 18k yellow gold square case, rounded bezel and lugs, the lugs with semi-hooded recess, flat notched winding crown, snap-on case back, inside case back stamped Vacheron + Constantin Swiss, 18k/750, with Swiss Helvetia head assay mark

Case number: 299'663, 12, Poinçon de Maître key mark 5

Closure: unsigned black leather strap and later 18k gold folding buckle with sponsor’s mark HF for Harry Fane and London date letter ’t’ for 2018

Size: 36 mm length x 27.5 mm width

Accessories: none

Historically, Cartier offered wristwatches completed by other watchmakers, often co-signing the dials with the manufacturer’s name. Due to the effects of the Second World War, Cartier lost many skilled workers, and this, combined with the logistical challenges of exporting watches from Cartier in France to Cartier in New York both during and immediately after the war, made sourcing completed watches from leading Swiss makers for direct export to New York an appealing way to bolster their stock inventory. This unusual square model by Vacheron Constantin features semi-hooded lugs that cleverly conceal the edges of the strap, allowing for bold, broad lugs while accommodating a wider strap that would otherwise be constrained by the inner width between the lugs.