Context : Since most of the star clusters do not survive the embedded phase , their early dissolution appears to be a major source of field stars .
However , catching a cluster in the act of dissolving is somewhat elusive .

Aims : We investigate the nature and possible evolution of the young Galactic star clusters Collinder 197 ( Cr 197 ) and vdB 92 .

Methods : Photometric and structural properties are derived with near-infrared photometry and field-star decontamination .
Kinematical properties are inferred from proper motions of the main sequence ( MS ) and pre-MS ( PMS ) member stars .

Results : The colour-magnitude diagrams ( CMDs ) are basically characterised by a poorly-populated MS and a dominant fraction ( \ga 75 \% ) of PMS stars , and the combined MS and PMS CMD morphology in both clusters consistently constrains the age to within 5 \pm 4 Myr , with a \sim 10 Myr spread in the star formation process .
The MS + PMS stellar masses are \approx 660 ^ { +102 } _ { -59 } \mbox { $M _ { \odot } $ } ( Cr 197 ) and \approx 750 ^ { +101 } _ { -51 } \mbox { $M _ { \odot } $ } ( vdB 92 ) .
Cr 197 and vdB 92 appear to be abnormally large , when compared to clusters within the same age range .
They have irregular stellar radial density distributions ( RDPs ) with a marked excess in the innermost region , a feature that , at less than 10 Myr , is more likely related to the star formation and/or molecular cloud fragmentation than to age-dependent dynamical effects .
The velocity dispersion of both clusters , derived from proper motions , is in the range \sim 15 - 22 \mbox { $ km s ^ { -1 } $ } .

Conclusions : Both clusters appear to be in a super-virial state , with velocity dispersions higher than those expected of nearly-virialised clusters of similar mass and size .
A possible interpretation is that Cr 197 and vdB 92 deviate critically from dynamical equilibrium , and may dissolve into the field .
We also conclude that early cluster dissolution leaves detectable imprints on RDPs of clusters as massive as several 10 ^ { 2 } \mbox { $M _ { \odot } $ } .
Cr 197 and vdB 92 may be the link between embedded clusters and young stellar associations .