Important Modern & Vintage Timepieces

New York, Apr 15, 2015

LOT 44

DE BETHUNE PIECE UNIQUE MINUTE REPEATER & PERPETUAL CALENDAR PINK GOLD De Bethune, "Pièce Unique - Minute-Repeating Perpetual Calendar Revolving Moon Phase". Made in 2004. Accompanied by a certificate of authenticity. Extremely fine and unique, large, minute-repeating with ting-tang quarters, 18K pink gold wristwatch with platinum and titanium balance, perpetual calendar with 3-dimensional spherical revolving moon phase accurate to a degree of one lunar day every 122 years, leap year indication and 18K pink gold De Bethune buckle.

Three-body, solid, polished and brushed, curved bezel, conical lugs, flat band with correctors, snap-on transparent case back, sapphire crystals. Satiné silver with painted radial Roman numerals, subsidiary date ring, apertures for the days of the week and the months, 3-dimensional blued steel and platinum rolling moon phase and leap year indication window. Blued steel Breguet hands. Rhodium-plated, cotes de Genève decoration, 31 jewels, wolf's tooth winding, straight line lever escapement, patented special 3-spoke titanium balance with platinum ogival weights, adjusted to 5 positions, shock absorber, self-compensating free sprung flat balance spring, swan-neck micrometer regulator, repeating on gongs with two hammers, the quarters being struck with alternate blows of the hammers in "ting-tang" fashion activated by a slide on the band.