225
Vacheron Constantin
Ref. 4764
"Cioccolatone"
An extremely rare, important, and superb pink gold triple calendar wristwatch with moon phase, and two-tone silvered dial
Full-Cataloguing
- Triple calendar
- Much rarer in pink gold than yellow gold, with 47 examples produced between the two
- Preserved in spectacular condition, probably one of the best preserved examples to come to the market
Post–World War II exuberance led to a new mid-century artistic design movement, emphasizing clean lines, biomorphic shapes, and a focus on functionality, beauty, and comfort. Vacheron Constantin’s response to this aesthetic was a large, organic, square-shaped wristwatch with rounded, stepped lugs and bezel, complemented by a slightly curved case. Affectionately known by collectors as the “Cioccolatone,” Italian for square-shaped chocolate, the model became an iconic example of this new design paradigm. Today, the “Cioccolatone” is celebrated for its oversized square case, inspired by the clean lines of 1950s industrial design. Avant-garde in every sense, it exemplifies the artistic creativity for which Vacheron Constantin is renowned.
Introduced in the early 1950s, Vacheron Constantin produced several references of the “Cioccolatone” in the same case style. These were offered with manual and automatic movements, subsidiary and center seconds, and, in its most complicated and prestigious form, as a triple calendar wristwatch with moon phase. The present reference was made in just 47 examples across yellow and pink gold, with pink gold examples being far rarer.
Dramatically oversized, with sensual and graceful curves, the design was far ahead of its time, and the present watch represents a superlative example in its category. Its iconic status was further illustrated when Vacheron Constantin reintroduced the model in 2003 with a modernized triple calendar and moon phase, named the “Toledo 1952.”
The present “Cioccolatone” is, without a doubt, the finest and best-preserved example of the reference 4764 triple calendar moon phase known to exist—one of fewer than a handful in pink gold. It last appeared in public in 2006 and then in 2017. In breathtaking original condition, the unpolished, hardly worn case retains its original factory finishing throughout, as well as crisp hallmarks on the underside of the lugs. The two-tone silver dial is close to immaculate and entirely original, as delivered by the factory in 1958.
This reference 4764 impresses with its sheer presence and unusual organic shape. It features Vacheron Constantin’s largest and most extravagant case of the era, cased in the model’s rarest and most prestigious metal—18-karat pink gold—and fitted with the most exclusive version of the model with triple calendar and moon phase.
Reference 4764 is certainly one of the most important and desirable Vacheron Constantin wristwatches to appear at auction in recent memory. It is a must-have timepiece for any collector of watches from the golden age of wristwatch design and manufacturing and a true trophy watch for the world’s finest collections.
Vacheron Constantin
Swiss | 1755The world's oldest watch brand in continuous operation since its founding in 1755, Vacheron Constantin was the first watch company to manufacture movements with interchangeable parts beginning in 1839. Vacheron's watches are admired for their Latin-influenced case designs, well-balanced proportions and exquisitely finished movements of the highest quality. The Geneva-based manufacturer is known for their highly complicated masterpieces, including the King Farouk Grand Complication made in 1935, the Tour de l'Ile that was the most complicated serially produced wristwatch when introduced in 2005 and the 57260 — the world’s most complicated watch — made in 2015.
Key vintage models include minute repeating wristwatches such as the references 4261, chronographs such as the references 4178 and 6087 and the oversized Cioccolotone models such as ref. 4737. Collectors also appreciate Vacheron's Chronometer Royal pocket and wristwatches, as well as the '222,' the brand's first luxury sports watch produced from 1977 through 1984.