Rare Swiss yellow gold Chronomètre Royal lever watch Circa 1910

Gold open faced keyless lever by Vacheron & Constantin
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A very fine and rare Swiss 18K gold manual wind chronometer watch with an open face, circa 1910. This timepiece features a keyless jewelled lever movement with a gold cuvette. The enamel dial showcases Arabic radial hours, an outer minutes track, and a subsidiary dial for the seconds, all complemented by gold spade hands. The plain 18K yellow gold polished case has a hinged engine turned back with a blank cartouche. The case, dial, and movement are all signed.
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Diameter: 57 mm
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Signed: Chronometre Royal Vacheron & Constantin Genève
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Chronomètre Royal was registered in Switzerland on May 28, 1907, under No. 22 193. The Royal Chronometer name, for the English-speaking market, was registered in Switzerland on May 8 1908, under the number 23 872. The first of these was a series of pocket watches delivered to Brazil. A certain A. Campos, one of Vacheron & Constantin’s agents, had organised a lottery system in which subscribers would pay a monthly fee to participate in a series of draws. The holders of the winning tickets would be given a watch, and the other subscribers would be entered into the next draw. This system proved so successful that A. Campos delivered a total of 3 022 watches between October 22, 1907, and December 31, 1911 – an amazing 80% of the production of the Chronomètre Royal, utilising the Cal. RA 22’73 was made during this period. The Chronomètre Royal was made in several sizes, from 12 to 22 lines, and was housed mostly in gold cases and rarely in silver ones.