99th Auction
2019/5/11
Lot 476
Vacheron & Constantin à Genève, "Gérard Mercator", Movement No. 799030, Case No. 684509, Ref. 43050, Cal. 1120/2, 36 mm, circa 1997
An extraordinary automatic platinum double retrograde Geneva wristwatch with depiction of the map of Europe, Africa and Asia - limited edition, made to commemorate the 400th Anniversary of the death of Gerardus Mercator, humanist and the father of modern cartography. With original certificate and original guarantee
Case: platinum, glazed push back, Vacheron & Constantin platinum buckle. Dial: silvered, black enamel.
The glazed snap off back reveals the automatic movement with its 21k gold rotor and the engraved dedication "1594 - Gérard Mercator - 1994". The magnificent silvered dial shows black enamel maps of Europe, Africa and Asia. The retrograde hours and minutes are indicated by two hands that resemble the two legs of a compass as a reminder of the tool used by Gerhard Mercator.
Gerhard (Gerardus) Mercator (born March 5, 1512 in Rupelmonde, County of Flanders, died December 2, 1594 in Duisburg, United Duchies of Jülich-Cleves-Berg) was a geographer and cartographer who was known as the Ptolemy of his time - his reputation travelled as far as the Arab-Muslim parts of the world. His real name was Gerard de Kremer (Latinized Gerardus Mercator, in German also Gerhard Krämer).
Source: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerhard_Mercator, as of 03/12/2019
An extraordinary automatic platinum double retrograde Geneva wristwatch with depiction of the map of Europe, Africa and Asia - limited edition, made to commemorate the 400th Anniversary of the death of Gerardus Mercator, humanist and the father of modern cartography. With original certificate and original guarantee
Case: platinum, glazed push back, Vacheron & Constantin platinum buckle. Dial: silvered, black enamel.
The glazed snap off back reveals the automatic movement with its 21k gold rotor and the engraved dedication "1594 - Gérard Mercator - 1994". The magnificent silvered dial shows black enamel maps of Europe, Africa and Asia. The retrograde hours and minutes are indicated by two hands that resemble the two legs of a compass as a reminder of the tool used by Gerhard Mercator.
Gerhard (Gerardus) Mercator (born March 5, 1512 in Rupelmonde, County of Flanders, died December 2, 1594 in Duisburg, United Duchies of Jülich-Cleves-Berg) was a geographer and cartographer who was known as the Ptolemy of his time - his reputation travelled as far as the Arab-Muslim parts of the world. His real name was Gerard de Kremer (Latinized Gerardus Mercator, in German also Gerhard Krämer).
Source: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerhard_Mercator, as of 03/12/2019
Sold
estimated
6.000—15.000 €
Price realized
19.600 €