RARE COLLECTION ~ 14K SOLID GOLD VACHERON CONSTATIN LE COULTRE GENTS DRESS WATCH

Movement- LeCoultre, manual wind by Vacheron Constatin which clearly marked VXN on the movement
Caliber- K818/1CW
Case- Solid 14K Gold, 32.5mm (not including crown), 17mm between lugs, (engraved presentation watch by a company on back)
Dial- Champagne, signed LeCoultre (with logo), seconds subdial
Crown- Silid 14K Gold
Serial Number- 2000134

MY PERSONAL COLLECTION - WILL ONLY LET GO FOR USD1600

HISTORY OF VACHERON CONSTATIN (VC) AND JAEGER-LECOULTRE (JLC)

1938 after years of close cooperation, LeCoultre takes a partial ownership position, and a Jaeger-LeCoultre marketing alliance is formed.
Jaeger's Swiss sales organization were moved into the VC business address in Geneva

1940 George Ketterer, through SAPIC, takes a majority shares position in VC. Ketterer was Managing Director at SAPIC, which was the holding company for Le Coultre, Jaeger-Le Coultre, and a majority shareholder of VC; he was also a Manager in VC. There was a Ketterer in charge at VC - either George or his son Jacques - until 1987.

1940-1950's VC's operational role became etablisseur to LeCoultre's manufacture

1944 The caliber 2003 is announced - 1.64mm thinnest manual wind in history - by AP, and VC participates in a similar announcement.

1946 AP ships the finished Ultra Thin based on the cal. 2003 (AP company literature, No. 1, 2000)

1950's US importer was VC-Le Coultre, which was itself a division of Longines Wittnauer Watch Co

1955 VC 200 year bicentennial -
VC releases Ultra Thin announced in 1944 as a 200 year anniversary piece. Vacheron claim several advanced features not claimed by AP for the cal. 2003, including unique escapement and regulator innovations, which allowed for the elimination of shock protection and the elimination of adjustment normally required after cleaning and lubrication.
VC presented to Bulganin (Soviet Union), Eden (Great Britain), Eisenhower (USA), Faure (France)

1965 George Ketterer left Jaeger LeCoultre and went to head VC, thus separating the LeCoultre ownership connection.