Rare Swiss silver deck chronometer with center seconds Circa 1943

Silver unusual deck chronometer 
–
An extremely rare deck chronometer with center seconds made by Vacheron & Constantin in Genève, Switzerland, circa 1943. The numbered open faced case of this watch was crafted from silver. The silvered dial features an Arabic hour scale, an outer minute track with 1/5^th  of a second divisions and Arabic five minute numerals, a red center seconds hand, and blued steel hands for the hours and minutes. The numbered movement is fitted with a chronometer balance, fine adjusting device, lever escapement, center seconds and Geneva striping decoration.
–
Diameter: 50 mm
–
Weight: 154 g
–
Signed: Vacheron & Constantin Genève Swiss
–
These rare versions of Vacheron & Constantin deck chronometers with center seconds were mainly produced for observation purposes during the Second World War and are now sought after collector’s items. The “sister watch” of the present piece, probably from the same series, is now in the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich.