Vacheron Constantin Altesse Ref. 3681

The Vacheron & Constantin Altesse reference 3681 is one of those unicorn references from the 1940's.  It has a very unique style that is not seen very often.    The yellow gold  33mm round  stepped case  continues  into the middle section of the dial  creating almost a mystery dial effect.  Only the tips of the hour and minute hands pop out from the gold center section and float over the black dial with applied circle markers to tell time.  Such a unique design!  This wonderfully designed watch is powered by a manual wind caliber V458 movement.  The Altesse was one of the models featured in the Vacheron 'Nicknames' Exhibition held  in 2018 at the Vacheron Constantin Boutique in Paris which featured a collection of vintage watches with unique designs and nicknames.