Important Collectors’ Wristwatches, P...

Geneva, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Du Rhône, May 13, 2007

LOT 625

"Watch with 13 Complications" Baume, London, No. 13550, movement No. 300069, attributed to Audemars Piguet. Made for the Islamic market, the case with London hallmarks for 1902. Extremely fine and very rare, large, trip minute-repeating, astronomic, grande & petite sonnerie striking, two-train, 18K gold, keyless clockwatch with perpetual calendar, chronograph, instantaneous 60-minute register, moon phases and lunar calendar.

CHF 45,000 - 55,000

EUR 28,000 - 35,000 / USD 37,000 - 45,000

Sold: CHF 88,500

C. Four-body, "bassine" massive, solid, master mark "AB", entirely engraved with foliage and geometric patterns, the center of the back cover engraved with a crescent moon, thief-proof swivel bow. Hinged gold cuvette. D. White enamel by Willis, radial Islamic numerals, outer minute track and concentric fifths of a second chronograph track with Arabic five second numerals, subsidiary dials for months and leap years concentric with 60- minute register, days of the week, date, seconds and lunar calendar, aperture for the moon phases. Blued steel "spade" hands. M. 46 mm., 20''', frosted gilt, three-quarter plate, jewels in screwed chatons, two trains with tandem winding, lateral lever escapement, cut bimetallic compensation balance, blued steel Breguet balance spring, index regulator, repeating on gongs activated by a trip-button in the band, silent/striking & hours & quarters/quarters only selection levers beneath the bezel. Movement signed. Diam. 59 mm.


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Grading System
Grade:
Case: 3

Good

Movement: 3*

Good

Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense

Dial: 2-01

Very good

HANDS Original

Notes

Baume & Co.
The firm was established in London around 1845; a branch was opened in Geneva in 1882, under the name Baume Genève. The firm often used LeCoultre ebauches for their complicated watches. They were known for their careful, high-quality finishing. Literature: ?Dictionnaire des horlogers genevois? by Osvaldo Patrizzi.

The complications of this watch are: Perpetual calendar Days of the month Days of the week Months Four-year cycle Age and phases of the moon Chronograph 60-minute register Grande sonnerie Petite sonnerie Minute-repeater Striking train stopwork Twin barrel tandem winding.