70
Vacheron & Constantin. A very rare, unusual and historically interesting aluminium pocket watch
Case No.336508, Movement No.497758, made circa 1954, presented in January 1955
Cal.439/7, 17 jewel movement with fine-regulation, adjusted to temperatures, silvered dial with applied Breguet numerals, Breguet hands, subsidiary seconds, three-piece aluminium case with reverse engraved ‘’TO THE PRESIDENT OF HAITI GENERAL PAUL EUGENE MAGLOIRE ON HIS VISIT TO THE UNITED STATES JANUARY 1955'. Case, dial and movement signed.
Diameter 44mm, thickness 10mm, total weight 21g.
From the family of former President of Haiti, Paul Eugene Magloire, this watch was presented to him by the American President Dwight D. Eisenhower upon his official state visit from January 26 - February 6, 1955. General Magloire was elected President of Haiti in 1950 and was responsible for increasing tourism and foreign investment within the country. After the devastating Hurricane Hazel hit both Haiti, causing immense damage, and then America, in 1954, the two Presidents of their respective countries opened dialogue, most likely instigating the invitation for Present Magloire and his wife, Mrs Yolette LeConte Magloire to visit America, with their official accommodation the Lincoln Bedroom at The White House. A New York ticker-tape parade from Battery to City Hall was held in their honour on January 31, 1955. Aluminium pocket watches by Vacheron Constantin are particularly rare, with the three-piece case and movement plate made using aluminium to create a strong yet lightweight pocket watch. Conceived in 1937, it is believed less than 300 examples were manufactured and prominently issued as retirement gifts to people working in the aluminium industry until approximately 1955. The movement of this example is stamped VXN indicated it was designated for the American market.
Case No.336508, Movement No.497758, made circa 1954, presented in January 1955
Cal.439/7, 17 jewel movement with fine-regulation, adjusted to temperatures, silvered dial with applied Breguet numerals, Breguet hands, subsidiary seconds, three-piece aluminium case with reverse engraved ‘’TO THE PRESIDENT OF HAITI GENERAL PAUL EUGENE MAGLOIRE ON HIS VISIT TO THE UNITED STATES JANUARY 1955'. Case, dial and movement signed.
Diameter 44mm, thickness 10mm, total weight 21g.
From the family of former President of Haiti, Paul Eugene Magloire, this watch was presented to him by the American President Dwight D. Eisenhower upon his official state visit from January 26 - February 6, 1955. General Magloire was elected President of Haiti in 1950 and was responsible for increasing tourism and foreign investment within the country. After the devastating Hurricane Hazel hit both Haiti, causing immense damage, and then America, in 1954, the two Presidents of their respective countries opened dialogue, most likely instigating the invitation for Present Magloire and his wife, Mrs Yolette LeConte Magloire to visit America, with their official accommodation the Lincoln Bedroom at The White House. A New York ticker-tape parade from Battery to City Hall was held in their honour on January 31, 1955. Aluminium pocket watches by Vacheron Constantin are particularly rare, with the three-piece case and movement plate made using aluminium to create a strong yet lightweight pocket watch. Conceived in 1937, it is believed less than 300 examples were manufactured and prominently issued as retirement gifts to people working in the aluminium industry until approximately 1955. The movement of this example is stamped VXN indicated it was designated for the American market.
London Watches
Sale Date(s)
Venue Address
COLLECTION OF PURCHASED LOTS
Lots will be available to collect from 22 Connaught Street, London W2 2AF from Thursday 21st November. All collections will be by appointment (bookings available 10.30am to 5pm weekdays)
CALL 0207 930 9115
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Please ensure payment has been made prior to collection. This can be done by bank transfer, and debit/credit card online (powered by Stripe) - details will be shown on your invoice. Please note we are unable to take payments over the phone.
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Important Information
.A £6,500 spend limit has been applied to this auction. Bidders intending on spending above this amount will need to provide photo identification to have the spend limit removed. To help manage this, you will be asked to confirm your projected spend as part of the auction registration process. You may receive a request to provide photo ID. We ask that you provide this at your earliest convenience on request, to ensure you are free to bid above the £6,500 spend limit on sale day . Please note it is Lyon and Turnbull’s discretion to ask for identification – you will be also asked to provide this if you have no bidding history.
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BUYER'S PREMIUM
The buyer shall pay the hammer price together with a premium, at the following rate, thereon.
26% up to £20,000
25% from £20,001 to £500,000
20% thereafter
VAT will be charged on the premium at the rate imposed by law (see our Conditions of Sale at the back of this catalogue).
ADDITIONAL VAT
† VAT at the standard rate payable on the hammer price
‡ Reduced rate of 5% import VAT payable on the hammer price
[Ω] Standard rate of import VAT on the hammer price
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PURCHASE COLLECTIONS
All purchases can be collected, once paid for, from our London Gallery at:
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W1A 2AF
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REMOVAL OF PURCHASES
Responsibility for packing, shipping and insurance shall be exclusively that of the purchaser. See Collections & Storage section for more info specific to this particular auction.
CATALOGUE DESCRIPTIONS
All item descriptions, dimensions and estimates are provided for guidance only. It is the buyer’s responsibility to inspect all lots prior to bidding to ensure that the condition is to their satisfaction. Our specialists will be happy to prepare condition reports and additional images. These are for guidance only and all lots are sold ‘as found’, as per our Conditions of Sale.
WATCHES
Please note that all watches sold at auction are pre-owned and as such come with wear that is consistent with age and use. We recommend that a condition report is requested prior to bidding on any timepiece at auction. It is the responsibility of the bidder to do so and the absence of a condition report does not imply that the lot is in perfect condition. Condition reports for all watches (and other items of a mechanical nature) are made without any guarantee as to the working condition beyond the point at which the report is written. Watches are not tested in house for accuracy or water tightness.
Buyers should assume that any watch purchased at auction will require regular, and often immediate, servicing. Originality of parts, forming the structure of the watch and its bracelet/strap and all constituent parts, and the internal movement, should not be assumed.
Originality is not guaranteed in any form. Unless otherwise stated, all watches will have been opened during the cataloguing process. It must therefore be assumed that the waterproof seal will need to be reinstated by a competent watch maker. If the watch caseback has not been opened and the movement has not been accessed, nothing pertaining to the movement’s originality or condition should be assumed by the buyer.
IMPORT/EXPORT
Prospective buyers are advised that several countries prohibit the importation of property containing materials from endangered species, including but not limited to; rosewood, rhino horn, ivory, coral and tortoiseshell. Accordingly, prospective buyers should familiarise themselves with all relevant customs regulations prior to bidding if they intend to import lots to another country. It is the buyer’s sole responsibility to obtain any relevant export or import licence. The denial of any licence or any delay in obtaining licences shall neither justify the recession of any sale nor any delay in making full payment for the lot.
ENDANGERED SPECIES
Please be aware that lots marked with the symbol Y contain material which may be subject to CITES regulations when exporting outside Great Britain. For more information visit https://www.defra.gov.uk/ahvla-en/imports-exports/cites
Terms & Conditions
UK - Conditions Of Sale For Buyers
These Conditions of Sale and the Saleroom Notices as well as specific Catalogue terms, set out the terms on which we offer the Lots listed in this Catalogue for sale. By registering to bid and/or by bidding at auction You agree to these terms, we recommend that You read them carefully before doing so. You will find a list of definitions and a glossary at the end providing explanations for the meanings of the words and expressions used.
Special terms may be used in Catalogue descriptions of particular classes of items (Books, Jewellery, Paintings, Guns, Firearms, etc.) in which case the descriptions must be interpreted in accordance with any glossary appearing in the Catalogue. These notices and terms will also form part of our terms and conditions of sales.
In these Conditions the words “Us”, “Our”, “We” etc. refers to Lyon & Turnbull Ltd, the singular includes the plural and vice versa as appropriate. “You”, “Your” means the Buyer.
Lyon & Turnbull Ltd. acts as agent for the Seller. On occasion where Lyon & Turnbull Ltd. own a lot in part or full the property will be identified in the catalogue with the symbol (