VACHERON CONSTANTIN, MALTE RETROGRADE DATE,  AKA « 247 » , PLATINUM AUTOMATIC, LIMITED EDITION

ICONEEK price: 26’000.- CHF

Iconeek is proud to introduced here a superb, rare and elegant water-resistant, self-winding, limited edition, automatic, semi-skeletonized, platinum wristwatch with day and retrograde date, made to commemorate the 247th anniversary of Vacheron Constantin.

Made in 2002 to commemorate the 247th anniversary of Vacheron Constantin, the model is from a limited edition of only 247 examples. This was one of the first VCs, aside from skeletons, to feature an open dial. The 247 individually numbered watches sold out within a very short period. Very hard to find, the model features a skeletonized dial that allows the retrograde date and day mechanism to be viewed. It is cased in platinum, the noblest of metals. With visible access to the movement on both sides, the present watch is extremely striking. 

Reference 47245 was in fact the first retrograde date watch from the manufacturer. The model was introduced in 2000 to celebrate the 245th anniversary of the Swiss brand (1745), reason why the model is also called « 245 » by connoisseurs. Reference 47245 set the basic of all the next generations of retrograde date of the brand. The model was available in 18K pink gold and in 18K white gold (see here). In 2002, Under ref. 47247, a platinum, semi-skeletonized, limited edition to 247 pieces, was also available to mark the 247th of the brand, with open work dial, such as the present watch.

The model comes with a two-body construction: a solid, polished, round-shaped case with large fluted overhanging straight lugs, pusher in the band  at 10 for advancing the date, sapphire crystals,  a transparent case back secured with 4 screws. The band is proudly engraved with the limited edition serial number « no. 203/247 ».

Under the sapphire glass, we discover the silvered semi-skeletonised dial, with outer chapter ring with applied triangular indexes, outer railway minute division, retrograde sector for date with central hand, subsidiary dial for days of the week at 6 and gold Baton hands. Under the transparent case back secured by four screws, we discover a caliber 1126/1, rhodium-plated, Cotes de Geneve decoration, 36 jewels, straight-line lever escapement, monometallic balance adjusted to heat, cold, isochronism and 5 positions, shock-absorber, self-compensating flat balance spring, 21K gold rotor segment. Dial, case and movement are signed. The size between the lugs is 19 mm.

In superb overall condition, numbered 203 of 247, the present watch comes with its original accessories. 

Rare, full-set, complicated, a collector per sure!

Condition: 9.5/10, superb overall condition