Museum-grade find, (a wonderful patina, which can be brightened with the slightest wipe of a jeweller's cloth) stored in a safety deposit for over 30 years, never worn or polished and with factory sticker on the back.

By the mid-1980s Vacheron Constantin started to shake off the quartz malaise of the previous decade, rediscovering their mastery of solid classical design. This inimitable Day-Date Moonphase, reference 46009, perfectly exemplifies their approach – stick to the classics and lavish your watches with superb quality outside and in. 

Quality is something that Vacheron Constantin knows better than most. They are the oldest watch company in continuous operation, building masterpieces in Geneva since 1755. Their fascinating history includes many important complicated watches, such as the one for King Farouk in 1946. In 2024 they smashed the world record for the most complicated watch ever, the Berkley Grand Complication – that previous record was also one of theirs – the Reference 57260 from 2015.

This Ref. 46009 marks an important return to proper horology. Between the mid-1980s when this watch and its small handful of contemporaries were produced, Vacheron had not built any multi-calendar watch since the 1950s! This watch truly represents the step into the contemporary generation, that moment when horology realised that high-quality mechanical watches are here to stay.

The 34mm yellow gold case with stepped bezel and straight lugs is solid and durable, being made in the post-vintage method. The elegant dial of blanched silver (a beautiful matt white obtained by flame and acid purification of the finished surface) has Vacheron's now famous Clous de Paris guilloché motif, which enhances overall legibility.

Day and Date at 9 and 3 are underpinned by a classical moonphase display at 6. Elegant applied baton indexes and hands are of solid gold, a feature discreetly advertised by the Greek "Sigma" in tiny letters near the bottom of the dial (see our article about this at this link)

The self-winding movement with 21ct gold rotor affix is a Vacheron Constantin calibre 1126, derived from the venerable Jaeger LeCoultre 889, renowned for its reliability, robustness and precision. This partnership between two of Europe's oldest manufacturers existed for most of the 20th century.

First retailed by a traditional jeweller's in Italy in 1988, this Vacheron Constantin is supplied with its original certificate and comes fitted to its original, unworn black VC alligator strap and 18ct gold signed VC buckle. A truly exceptional find.