Why it stands out:
- Retailed by Cartier.
- Rare and soughtafter 35.5mm screw-down steel case.
- Powered by Cal. K453/3BW.
- Two-tone eggshell/silver dial with Roman numerals.
- Exemplary condition.

What you should know:
- Extract form the V&C archives is not possible.
- Later added Bonklip style bracelet.

A rare watch that appeals to watch enthousiasts on several levels: the large, sturdy steel case, the striking dial, and the pairing of two houses with a long shared history (since the 1920s!). Over a century, Cartier and Vacheron Constantin brought their names together on many wristwatches and pocket watches.

This late 1960s (looking at VC movement serial dates) stainless steel Vacheron Constantin has three signatures, and each one tells part of its story: a dial signed “Vacheron & Constantin Genève” and “Cartier”, a case signed Vacheron & Constantin, and a movement signed European Watch and Clock Co. Inc.
E.W.C. began as a joint venture between Cartier and Edmond Jaeger, and was Cartier’s New York firm for importing, finishing and selling watches for the American market. According to the Uhren-Muser auction catalogue, Cartier ordered a small series of the hand-wound calibre K453/3BW from Vacheron Constantin, a variant of the 453 family that powered much of Vacheron’s production from the 1940s into the 1960s. The movement carries the Geneva Seal, and the “K” in the calibre number shows that it has Kif shock protection. Its serial number (579.4xx) is within 100 numbers of the Cartier/EWC example with the same calibre sold by auctioneer Uhren-Muser in 2021 (no. 579381), which fits both watches coming from the same small production run. The “Fifteen Jewels” and “Unadjusted” markings don’t mean a lesser movement. The US Tariff Act of 1930 required every imported movement to be stamped with its jewel count, and with “unadjusted”. Because duty was charged by jewel count and adjustment, movements for the American market were made to fall into a lower duty bracket, with no change to their design or finishing. Taken together, the Vacheron Constantin case, the Geneva Seal movement signed for Cartier’s New York company, and the US import markings matching the documented series all point to the same origin: a Vacheron Constantin made for, and sold by, Cartier.

Please note: we asked Vacheron Constantin for an Extract from the Archives for this watch, but they could not issue one. Their records show that the case and movement numbers do not match, and they gave no further explanation. We believe this is because the watch was not finished at Vacheron Constantin’s factory in Geneva. It was assembled by the European Watch & Clock Co. in New York, so it never went through Vacheron Constantin’s own archive registration as a complete watch. This is also the case for the Dr.Crott offered example.