Vacheron Constantin Chronograph Sells for HK$711,200 Thanks to Bulgari Link

A 1967 yellow gold Vacheron Constantin chronograph, Ref. 4072, sold for HK$711,200 at the Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo watch auction in Hong Kong on May 30, 2026. The pre-sale estimate was HK$240,000 to HK$380,000, so the watch finished far above the top of its range.

A Dial That Carries Two Names

What set this watch apart was its dial, which bears the maker's name alongside that of Italian luxury house Bulgari. It is the only known Ref. 4072 that still carries the retailer's signature, a detail that turns a well-regarded vintage chronograph into a one-of-a-kind collectible.

Vacheron Constantin has produced the Ref. 4072, a manually wound chronograph, since 1938. It came in yellow gold, pink gold and stainless steel, with variations in dial layout, scales and movement. The example sold in Hong Kong has a Caliber 492 movement and a 34.5 mm case. Its well-preserved yellow gold case, silver dial and tachymeter scale, combined with the Bulgari signature, gave it collecting credentials beyond those of a standard Ref. 4072.

Earlier results show the gap. In 2023, a 1944 yellow gold Ref. 4072 with a gold Gay Frères bracelet, a two-tone dial and a tachymeter scale fetched $53,340 at Phillips in New York. That same year, a 1943 steel Ref. 4072 with a pulsometer scale, a heart-rate scale, and the maker's certificate of authenticity sold for $35,560.

Why It Matters

The result shows that in vintage watches, provenance, original condition and documented history can move a price as much as the metal and the movement. For collectors and investors, authentication and preservation records are part of the asset itself.

Read the original article in Korean: K trendy NEWS