pocket watch identification

[chichimo]

hello, i am new to this site but was wondering if anyone could help me in identifying this watch. i have been able to determine that the case is made of platinum and 18kt gold, but there is absolutely no name to give a clue as to the maker. on the inside back of the case i found a serial number(?), and a small hallmark(?) that i took a close up of.
other then a "r+a" on the regulator, there is no other marking on the works that i can determine. i was thinking that this was a "vacheron +constantine" but i am definitely no expert and was wondering if anyone out there might know for sure, and could shed some light on why there no identifying marks that shows the maker etc. watch photos (http://www.stewartsayyah.com/backroom/?page_id=185) thank you very much for any and all help.
stewart

[chichimo]

hello, i am new to this site but was wondering if anyone could help me in identifying this watch. i have been able to determine that the case is made of platinum and 18kt gold, but there is absolutely no name to give a clue as to the maker. on the inside back of the case i found a serial number(?), and a small hallmark(?) that i took a close up of.
other then a "r+a" on the regulator, there is no other marking on the works that i can determine. i was thinking that this was a "vacheron +constantine" but i am definitely no expert and was wondering if anyone out there might know for sure, and could shed some light on why there no identifying marks that shows the maker etc. watch photos (http://www.stewartsayyah.com/backroom/?page_id=185) thank you very much for any and all help.
stewart

[chichimo]

i don't know if it will help in the identifying of this watch ...but i realised i left out the measurements.....the watch is 1 3/4inches in diameter, and about 3/16ths of an inch thick...and it runs great.
thanks for anyone who can identify the watch works....closest i have come is to it almost matching up with a few vacheron works that i have seen, but i have not been able to get a perfect match, thus am leary as touting it as such.....
stewart

[doug sinclair]

Stewart,

Welcome to the NAWCC Message Board!

Until someone more knowledgeable than me answers your question, I'll say that identification of Swiss watches up until the early years of the 20th century is a guessing game! The problem being that very often, a noted watcmaking concern may buy a semi-finished movement from another manufacturer, finish it to his standards, stamp his name on it, and sell it. Meanwhile, the same semi-finished movement by the same actual manufacturer might be sold to a not so well known company who finished it and didn't put their name on it! This happened a lot with Swiss watches. In the case of your watch, not only is there seemingly no name on the movement, there is also no name on the dial! So it could very well resemble a Vacheron that you have seen pictures of, but the lack of identification of any sort has resulted in a nice watch over all, but a bit of an orphan! You said in your second post that the watch is 3/16" thick! I assume that is the case that is about 3/16 " thick? That would make the movement about 3.5 mm thick. Quite thin! Identifying it might be easier if you could give us a look at the movement behind the dial.

[chichimo]

doug,
thanks for taking the time to contribute.....as to gettting a look at the movement behind the dial, i am not a watch repair type, photos i can do....and i have looked longingly at the movement with a desire to remove the 'innards' but do not feel confident in that i would know what i was doing.

is it your thinking that there might be some identifying marks on the movement once it it is freed from the case???? i was wondering about this and if so, i am very much tempted to take it to a watchmaker and have him remove it so i can shoot some photos of it....

my neighbor borred my caliphers, so i do not know the exact thickness, but it is quite thin, and weighs about 47grams.
again thanks for any information.
stewart

[Dr. Jon]

It looks very much like a Vacheron and Constantin. The movement layout is right for V&C and the escapement has their look to it.

It may be signed under the dial. I have seen this done before. Also it may have a serial number under it which would help you date it.

[mikeh]

Stewart,

Nice watch! I can't help you with the watch ID but I wanted to compliment you on your other photos. Nice!

[Tom Huber]

Stewart, A very nice watch. The style of the case and the look of the dial suggests that your watch was sold in the late 1940's or in the 1950's.

Tom

[chichimo]

doug,
well, went out and had the dial removed and took photos of what could be seen beneath the dial, see additional photos: watch photos (http://www.stewartsayyah.com/backroom/?page_id=185).........sad to say, not any indication of who, what, when or where.... the people here went on about how while it wasn't common, it wasn't uncommon for supply houses to provide blank movemnts unsigned.....think i have learned more about watches in the last couple days then i ever wanted...but the gist of what i deduced is that while all agree that this is a high quality watch etc, there isn't any way to establish who might have made it. true you might find a duplicate movement in a vascheron +constantine, but with out some sort of signed face or serial number, it doesn't mean a thing as vascheron might have just got the same blank from the same supply house etc...excepting that they signed it, thus watch becomes a v+c etc......soooooo just appears i have an orphan ...nicely made, but without any history.
anyway, thanks for all the information and the time it took ya to write.
stewart

[chichimo]

dr. jon,
thanks for taking time to write on this mystery watch.....but alas, nothing under the dial!!!!! see additional photos i posted to original site.
anyway, thanks for your time.
s

[chichimo]

mikeh,
thanks for the complement on the photos....if you liked them, check back again in a couple months, am going over again and will stay awhile, and post up a lot of new images....
thanks again
s