Swiss gold chronograph in chronometer quality Circa 1880

Open faced chronograph watch by Vacheron & Constantin
–
A very fine, Swiss pink gold chronograph in chronometer quality, circa 1880.
18K pink gold à-goutte case, engraved snake in monogram, dome signed and numbered, inscribed Chronographe Demi Chronometer. Very well-preserved signed enamel dial with Roman radial hours, outer minutes/seconds track with Arabic five minutes/seconds numerals, subsidiary dial for the constant seconds, centre seconds hand, and pink gold pear hands. Extremely rare calibre, deck chronometer, special fine adjusting device, wolf’s toothing.
–
Diameter: 54 mm
–
Weight: 114 g
–
Signed: Vacheron & Constantin Genève
–
Vacheron Constantin used the description ‘Demi-Chronomètre’ to indicate that the movement was sent to the observatory for chronometric control but, for commercial reasons, did not stay long enough to complete the entire testing procedure. To our knowledge, only two Geneva companies used the description ‘Demi-Chronomètre’: Vacheron Constantin and Henry Capt.