Lot 141
A remarkable, extremely rare, and well-preserved white and yellow gold “shutter” wristwatch, cased by Verger Frères
Sold
$40,640
Est $20,000 - $40,000
Live Auction
THE NEW YORK WATCH AUCTION: XI
ARTIST
Vacheron Constantin
Size
26mm length x 26mm height
Description

Year: Circa 1930
Movement No: 414'883
Case No: 12'779
Model Name: Montre à Volets
Material: 18K yellow gold and 18K white gold
Calibre: Manual, cal. 9''94, 15 jewels
Bracelet/Strap: Crocodile
Clasp/Buckle: Gold-tone pin buckle
Accessories: Accompanied by Vacheron Constantin Extract from the Archives confirming year of sale of the movement in 1930.

Since the late 19th century, the Paris-based jeweler Verger Frères has fabricated revered, high jewelry ornaments, watches, and clocks. During and following the “Roaring 1920s”, Verger Frères earned the reputation of being a master of Art Deco. Producing objects of the highest quality, between 1875 and 1938 Verger Frères worked in collaboration with Vacheron Constantin, using their high-grade movements for the timepieces they created. This long-term partnership reached its pinnacle at the end of the “Années Folles”, when Gustave-Aubert Verger patented the shutter wristwatch. With its narrow slats opening like Venetian blinds, the ingenious mechanism formed a protective shield for the fragile crystal and precious dial. The present watch is a very rare example of a version with horizontally oriented shutters. The shutters open flawlessly by turning the crown at 3 o’clock. There is a crown at 9 o’clock for winding and setting of the movement. Featuring a yellow gold bezel atop a white gold, perfectly square case, this rare Verger Frères watch made for Vacheron Constantin would add a charismatic and distinctive Art Deco touch to any collection.

Signature
Dial and movement signed. Case made by Verger Frères.
Provenance
The Geneva Watch Auction: THREE, May 15th 2016, lot 152.
Literature
Similar examples are illustrated in Secrets of Vacheron Constantin by Franco Cologni pages 128-129 and 267.