Passions Watch Exchange

About This Watch

Pre-owned. Sold with a magnificent piano glossed burlwood box+outer box. No papers but has a VC leather pouch & service papers.

This watch was returned to the VC factory in Geneve for a complete overhaul & never worn since but regularly wound up to maintain it's function. The warranty has since expired. It takes about 15 winds on the crown for a full-wind due to the small movement.

This Vacheron Constantin Open work coin watch is a very rare item & seldom appears in the market. It is a highly collectible item, a desirable timepiece for horology collectors. It appears in the official catalogue and is only available upon order while the last known retail price was a whopping S$91,000.

A true watch connoisseur will certainly adore this exquisite watch. The fascinating detailed works are very inviting for the inquisitive mind and one would spend much time appreciating it.

An 18ct Pink gold frame houses a 1904 US Twenty dollars gold coin which is just 5mm thin. Upon depressing a small rectangular button on the right side of the case-band, the hunting cover flips open to reveal the skeletonised clockwork, nestled in a brushed gold ring with 12 black hour bars engraved onto it to show time. The internals of the gold case is polished with circular grain for that added luxury.

When it comes to "open work" or skeleton watches, few companies rival this oldest watchmaker. If you notice, all the bridges are carefully engraved with filigree design. The mainspring box has the Maltese Cross cut opened to reveal the coiled spring and the name Vacheron Constantin is proudly engraved around it.

Now, why is the US Twenty dollar gold coin so often used in watch making? Born in the California Gold Rush years, it is the largest circulating gold coin in America with millions of Type 3 Liberty double eagles shipped overseas during the late 19th and early 20th centuries and used as bank reserves. What we have here is a Type 3 being the largest circulated gold coin with 6.25 million produced over 3 decades. Hence the popularity.

The heads of the coin features a Greco-Roman head of Liberty facing left, hair tied in a bun with curls flowing down to the base of the bust. She is wearing a coronet inscribed with LIBERTY. Thirteen stars surround the bust with the date positioned below. The reverse depicts an eagle with outstretched wings holding an olive branch and arrows. A rounded & ornate shield was introduced in 1866 when the motto IN GOD WE TRUST was added to the oval of stars above the eagle (Type 2). There is a pattern of rays in a semicircle touching each wing. To convert it to a watch, a gold coin is selected then carefully sliced apart where both head and tail are used as the front and back cover of the watch.

The movement is a Calibre 1003, one of the thinnest produced by Vacheron Constantin and subjected to a complete works with engraving done on the skeletons. An exquisite work of Art. It is produced in very limited numbers and only appears in the catalogue now and then over the last few decades.

The solid gold case shows mild surface use over the years and the original strap though good is a heavily stained under lining so we have fitted a new crocodile but non-VC strap. The strap measures 18x14mm on the breaths.

Further 3% discount for cash payment.