Contemporary Limited Edition and Mode...

New York, Grand Havana Room, Sep 28, 2000

LOT 113

Franck Muller, Genève, 'Cintree Curvex, Imperial Tourbillon', No. 02 , Ref. 5850 T, 1990's.Very fine, tonneau shaped, 18K yellow gold gentleman's wristwatch with one minute tourbillon regulator, 48 hours autonomy, leather strap and 18K yellow gold Franck Muller buckle.

USD 32,000 - 36,000

Sold: USD 35,650

C. two body, solid, polished, transparent dedicated back with screws, sapphire crystal. D. blued translucent enamel on 'guilloché' with painted radial Breguet numerals, on the 6, auxiliary seconds dial and visible tourbillon cage. 'Spade' yellow gold hands and one 'Serpentine' blued steel hand. M. Cal. TFM96 first quality, gilt and engraved brass, 19 jewels, lever escapement, monometallic balance adjusted to heat, cold isochronism and 5 positions, self-compensating Breguet balance-spring, threerm polished steel tourbillon cage.Dial, case and movement signed.Dim. 33 x 45 mm.


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Grading System
Grade: AAA

Excellent
Case: 1

As new
Movement: 1

As new
Dial: 1-01

As new

HANDS Original

Notes

The 'Imperial Tourbillon' wristwatch was first produced in 1995. Franck Muller patented his Tourbillon design which features a center-seconds hand attached to the tourbillon cage. This tourbillon wristwatch was designed with reference to Asian philosophy and myth. The ends of the arms of the tourbillon have small knives on them which symbolize the fighting off of evil spirits.This wristwatch is part of a limited production with very few pieces produced each year.What is a Tourbillon?A Tourbillon is a regulating mechanism in which the escapement of a movement is housed within a revolving carriage. It was developed in an effort to attain better precision. When a watch is in a vertical position, the force of gravity will speed the balance wheel as it moves in its downward (arc) direction and slow as it moves upward, creating deviational errors in the timekeeping. By placing the balance and escapement in a carriage that revolves 360o per minute, these errors become averaged andthe timekeeping becomes constant and consequently adjustable. Created by Abraham Louis Breguet in 1795, the tourbillon is considered a difficult and complex achievement by any watch manufacturer.