WHL[VC Moderator]
4922
Looking back at Vacheron Constantin's Ref 43039
Apr 24, 2013,04:30 AM
I wrote a short piece on a seldom seen and briefly marketed model from
the Patrimony Contemporaine family last year, the self winding reference
86180, which eschewed the date window as on the more popular but
otherwise identical reference 85180:
vacheron.watchprosite.com
There is another Vacheron Constantin wristwatch that has always
fascinated me despite it not having had much of a day in the sun. In
writing my review on the new Patrimony Tradtionnelle Self-winding, ref
43075, I recalled a model that I had always found attractive but have
never actually seen in person. It too has a round case, two hands, and
the calibre 1120. Like all modern Vacheron Constantin watches it has a
five digit reference number, 43039, but also a more poetic name,
“Poinçon de Genève,” and it was marketed as part of the Historiques
collection in the late 1990’s.
Photo from Antiquorum While
Vacheron Constantin today focuses considerable attention to the fact
that its movements comply with the Poinçon de Genève standards, that
wasn’t true to the same degree in the 1990’s and earlier. While the
polished two-part case and clean dial with radial hour markers and
feuille hands are the essence of simplicity, the name was designed to
focus attention on the movement.
During the late 1990’s Vacheron
Constantin used many movements from outside suppliers, such as
Girard-Perregaux, F. Piguet, and JLC, but only two movements bridged the
gap from the pre-quartz era to watchmaking’s modern renaissance: the
ultrathin manual winding caliber 1003 and the ultrathin self-winding
calibre 1120, with both ebauche coming from JLC. While Vacheron
Constantin famously used the 1120 as a base for complications like the
Mercator, perpetual calendar, Heure Sautante and Saltarello as well as
some skeleton pieces, it went virtually unused as the movement for a
simple two-hand dress watch.
Taking a cue from those
aforementioned skeleton watches, the rotor of the watch was openworked
and hand engraved, giving a very clear view of the movement, which is
why the calibre for this particular watch was given the 1120 MSQ
designation.
Photo of unknown origin The
only change in the 1120 from the pre-quartz production, was that
Vacheron Constantin had started to use an index regulator rather than
the free-sprung Gyromax balance that was the original design for the
movement.
While I have an old reference book that states that
the Poinçon de Genève reference 43039 was limited in production to 220
pieces in yellow gold and 90 in white gold, Alex Ghotbi on the Hour
Lounge wrote that production was “between 1996 and 1998 in WG and YG in
550 pieces,” though there was no breakdown between the two metals. It
was not a numbered edition. Part of the confusion arises, I suppose,
because there are two distinct dial options for the 43039 reference.
What I am calling the Poinçon de Genève has all Roman numbers, but there
is another poetic name, Chambellan, actually engraved into the case
back of the designated models, with Roman numbers at the corners and
baton markers between:
Photo from Japanese site This
Chambellan model was created to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the
1120 in 1998, and is claimed to be an edition of 200 pieces (120 YG, 80
WG). We have ourselves a mystery, and I nominate tick-talk to get to
the bottom of it!
Bill
VC Forum Moderator