Up for sale is this extremely rare circa late 1940s/early 1950s Vulcain Cricket alarm watch with wonderful original dial in exceedingly uncommon 18 karat Rose Gold 3-piece case. A watch famously given to US presidents since Harry Truman's days, this striking all-original pink gold Cricket is in overall Excellent vintage condition with fantastic Near Mint+ dial & hands. I would guess that this is a French market model with the dual FAB. SWISS/SWISS MADE dial signature and lack of external hallmarks. My watchmaker has opened it during service and confirms that the hallmarks inside the back are for 18k gold. He has also fully serviced the movement and so all functions are working as they should, including the nice loud, long & accurate alarm. It will therefore come with a 6-month movement guarantee for all normal non-abusive use. This could very well be the ne plus ultra of Vulcain Crickets and it even comes with its original coffin-style box. As the saying goes -- find me another! The asking price for this classic and fully serviced vintage Pink Gold Vulcain Cricket is $2750 USD OBRO [*SOLD*] including fully insured FedEx shipping worldwide. Bank Wire preferred but Paypal is OK with +2% to the buyer. Payment must be made in US DOLLARS. Other payment options upon application. Watch will ship upon full clearance of the funds, as well as any necessary bank vetting. CASE & BACK: Classically proportioned dress watch size of 34mm wide (not including crown) x 42mm long 3-piece all Rose Gold case with elegant tapered, downward sloping lugs. Case shows only light polish over the many years of its life and some minor wear from use particularly where the back and bezel have been removed on the non-crown side, as is quite common on these watches, but no major dings -- Excellent vintage condition. The high-sloping press on bezel is likewise very sharp. The external back is quite clean with the stamped VULCAIN and serial number crisp and the apertures for the resonance of the alarm undamaged, Excellent+ condition. DIAL & HANDS: If the case were not so rare the dial would be the undisputed star on this watch: an amazing two-tone silver dial with applied rose gold teardrop markers and even-number Arabics placed upon a contrasting circular mirror-style track, plus a full repeating "10-30-50"-increment external alarm track in black. The silver of the dial is still nice and bright with almost no signs of aging visible except with a high power loupe -- Near Mint+ all-original condition. The handsome applied teardrops and numerals are also quite bright and the original alarm track and all other dial printing is equally sharp. As mentioned above, I would guess that the added FAB. SUISSE on the dial indicates post-WWII French manufacture when imports of gold were strictly controlled by the government and most gold watches were therefore cased in France after the movements & dials were imported from Switzerland. This Cricket also features its original rose hour & minute dagger hands, black arrow-tipped alarm pointer and red sweep seconds hands. They show just a little more age, Excellent condition. Just a super cool and classy retro layout on this lovely Cricket dial in museum-quality condition! CROWN & PUSHER: Correct original unsigned rose gold winding crown and original pusher at "2" for controlling the alarm function. The crown operates in its bi-directional fashion as described below and sets the time and alarm as it should. The pusher also performs its functions as designed. They only show cosmetic wear and so are Excellent+. CRYSTAL: Domed acrylic crystal could well be original and has been freshly buffed at service and so has only minor marks from wear, easily Excellent+. MOVEMENT: Legendary Vulcain in-house Caliber 120 alarm movement with sweep seconds, 17-jewels and two independent barrels for the alarm and the time. A somewhat complex movement to figure out at first, you wind the time by winding counterclockwise and the alarm clockwise. Additionally, one sets the time by pulling the crown out all the way where you can only rotate the hands in the forward direction. To set the alarm one depresses the pusher firmly and the crown will pop up for setting of the alarm arrow hand (again in one direction only, backwards). Once the crown is pushed all the way back down the alarm is now set assuming you have wound it up. To disable the alarm depress the pusher halfway and the crown will pop up to an inactive, freely rotating middle position. (I will include some handwritten instructions for the new owner but there won't be a test. ) Normally I would take photographs of the movement and inner back -- believe me, I'd love to for my archive! -- but these pressure fit cases are very tightly sealed and I don't wish to damage the case, especially as it's soft gold. However, all is guaranteed genuine under the hood including the correct internal case hallmarks for 18k, as stated above. To put the cherry on top of the sundae, this classic and complicated alarm movement has just been fully serviced by my watchmaker and will come with a 6-month guarantee for all normal, non-abusive use. STRAP: This great Cricket comes on a nicely matching tan genuine ostrich strap with generic yellow buckle in Very Good+ used condition with plenty of life left. This watch has old fashioned fixed spring bars and therefore takes open-ended straps with 18mm (aka 11/16") lug widths. BOX: This vintage Cricket comes with its original long brown coffin-style box. While the printing of the logo is quite worn the box is still in Very Good overall condition and is definitely a nice additional collector's item. As a matter of policy, I make NO guarantees for the water resistance of this watch in any way, shape or form. This great vintage Vulcain Cricket is offered with a 3-day inspection period from the date of receipt and may be returned for a full refund (less any shipping costs incurred by the buyer). This refund is unconditional and once I get the watch back in exactly the same condition as it was sent to you, your money will be refunded. Of course, once the 3 days are over the sale will be considered FINAL. Thanks for looking, T. [email protected]
I take back all the nasty things I've said about them. And they even say it's a $100 bucks more than I'm asking. Thanks for the heads up & HAGWE, Best, T.