A TRIBUTE TO PRECISION AND COMPLICATE...

Hotel Nogalhilton Geneve, Nov 11, 2001

LOT 111

Precision Timekeeper with7 ComplicationsMarius Lecoultre, Rue Bonivard 8, Geneva, No. 2655, circa 1880.Very fine and rare 18K gold hunting-cased, keyless, astronomical, retrograde perpetual calendar, minute-repeating pocket chrono-meter with phases of the moon and chronograph.

CHF 25,000 - 30,000

USD 16,000 - 19,000

Sold: CHF 46,000

C. Four-body, "bassine et filets", solid, both covers richly engraved with scrolling foliage, floral and geometrical patterns, front cover with small shield with inscription, gold hinged cuvette with engraved technical details, glazed gold bezel on the back. D. White enamel, radial Roman numerals, outer minutes and seconds divisions with five-minute/seconds Arabic markers, retrograde date sector with Arabic numerals set at the top, below central phases of the moon aperture, days of the week aperure at IX o'clock, month aperture at III o'clock, subsidiary sunk seconds. Blued steel "fleur-de-lis" hands. M. 45,3 mm (20'''), frosted gilt metal, 34 jewels, adjusted to temperature, positions and isochronism, straight line calibrated lever escapement, cut bimetallic compensation balance, blued steel Breguet balance spring, lever-set, unusual chronograph mechanism invented by Marius Lecoultre, repeating on gongs by a slide in the band.Signed on the cuvette. Diam. 58 mm.


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Grading System
Grade: AAA

Excellent
Case: 3

Good
Movement: 3*

Good

Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense
Dial: 3 - 01

Notes

Lecoultre designed a new chronograph mechanism based on Lugrin's patent from 1876, in which he simplified Lugrin's idea by setting an engagement wheel under the intermediate one and designing a clutch between them. The idea was to prevent backlash, a typical fault in standard chronograph movements.Marius LecoultreA watchmaker and repairer as well as a dealer in fine watches. A highly reputed firm, founded in 1848, making complicated watches of superior quality. Lecoultre perfected a chronograph with vertical displacement of the engagement wheel. He received an honorable mention at the Geneva "concours de chronométrie" in 1887. He showed complicated and precision watches at the Chicago Universal Exhibition of 1893, and also took part in the National Exhibition in Geneva in 1896.