Vacheron Constantin Perpetual Calendar - Ref. 43031-000J - "Automatic" dial

The Watch

The first generation Vacheron Constantin Perpetual Calendar, Ref. 43031 makes a spotless dress watch, beating horological intricacy and refinement. This 36 mm yellow gold watch, stands out with an unparalleled bright white and rare "Automatic" dial.

Testifying a moonphase made from lapis lazuli, weekday, month and leap year indicators, and the date – ensures a stunning perception of depth, brightening up artistically when the light falls on it. The white dial, with gold hour and minute hands, feature juxtaposed sub-dial hands made of yellow gold.

The 'Automatic' dial was only made for a limited time, with the text 'Automatic" appearing at the 6 of the clock position and everything else remaining the same. Interestingly, we can not find this dial in any catalogue, but a few examples have turned up for sale, such as the one offered here, all with corresponding case and movement numbers from the same period.

The classical timepiece has a polished case with a stepped bezel and straight lugs. Both its design codes and traditional measurements, hint to the brand’s heritage – in particular so to the legendary perpetual calendar pocket watches with a 48-month cycle. The thinness of the watch, pointing out less than 8 mm on the scale, is a nod to more contemporary design aesthetics while ensuring comfortable wear.

The Movement

The Vacheron Constantin Perpetual Calendar, Ref. 43031 houses an automatic movement – caliber 1120 – with an oscillating weight in 21K gold, the full-diameter rotor being adorned with Geneva stripes.

With its 2,45 mm thickness, the self-winding 36-jewel movement,  is one of the thinnest in the world of haute horlogerie. A true symbol in the history of fine watchmaking, finding its heritage in the ultra-thin Jaeger-LeCoultre 920 movement, that was invented with the support of Audemars Piguet and being taken on by Vacheron Constantin and Patek Philippe.

It bears the Seal of Geneva, as a testimony to a high accolade of quality.

How it wears

Measuring just 36mm in width, this Vacheron Constantin is beautifully compact in its wrist presence. The harmonious relationship between its case and dial counteracted with its straight lug design ensure every desirable feature is emphasised. On the wrist, the piece is incredibly slender providing an exceptionally luxurious aesthetic. Its case width also ensures that a wide range of wrist sizes can enjoy this piece of art with ease.

Condition & Set

This Vacheron Constantin Perpetual Calendar, Ref. 43031 is in very good condition, and has perfect mechanical functionality. It comes with its original yellow gold Vacheron Constantin folding buckle and was recently serviced by Vacheron Constantin. The Vacheron Constantin Perpetual Calendar is paired with a Mr WATCHLEY Saffiano Chestnut strap.

Origin

One of the oldest players on the pitch, Vacheron Constantin was founded in 1755 in Geneva by Jean-Marc Vacheron, who was only in his early twenties at the time. Vacheron, known to be a good friend of philosophers Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Voltaire – sharing an interest in ideas centered around the intellectual movement of the time, reflected both in science and watchmaking – passed his watchmaking spirit and horological complications archive on towards his son and grandson Jacques-Barthélemy, who started his collaboration with François Constantin in 1819. 

It remarked the continuation of a watchmaking journey infused by enlightenment and a beginning of a new chapter of the brand, carrying forth its new name and innovative ethos until today.

The design at hand breathes horological history as perpetual calendars are considered amongst the most iconic complications. Its story unfolds at the beginning of the 20^th century in Geneva, where the first model was manufactured by Patek Philippe. Though other Swiss brands explored the complication, perpetual calendars were only crafted by master watchmakers.

Vacheron Constantin started their endeavors in perpetual calendar wristwatches during the war, in 1942 with Ref. 4240. Its production, followed by evolutional designs, lasted only a few decades. The overall production – merely among the Holy Trinity of watchmaking – ceased during the quartz crisis, but the rare pieces enlivened a renaissance in the eighties.

The perpetual calendar soon became the epitome of heritage-based fine watchmaking, standing the mechanical test of time. It is believed that the ultra-thin perpetual calendar model at hand, supposedly developed by Vacheron Constantin in 1983, played a weighty role in surmounting the horological crisis for the historic Swiss brand.

The Perpetual Calendar, Ref. 43031 became the archetypal perpetual calendar of Vacheron Constantin, in production in different variations only until 2002.

Reference	43031-000J-0223
Movement	Automatic
Caliber	Calibre 1120
Dial	White - Automatic dial
Size (Case)	36 mm
Material (Case)	Yellow gold
Bracelet	Mr Watchley Saffiano Chestnut
Glass	Sapphire
Condition	Very good
Year	90's
Papers	VC Service Papers
Box	-
Warranty	2 years