Important Collectors Watches, Pocket ...
Geneva, May 10, 2009
LOT 50
For Ettore Bugatti Minute Repeating & Chronograph Urania, München, the ebauche by LeCoultre. No. 23639. Made circa 1905. Very fine, large and heavy, minute-repeating, 18K pink gold and enamel, hunting-cased, keyless pocket watch with chronograph and instantaneous register.
CHF 6,500 - 8,500
USD 5,700 - 7,400 / EUR 4,300 - 5,600
Sold: CHF 12,000
C. Four-body, "bassine", polished, front cover with blue and white champleve enamel monogram ?EB?, button for start/stop and return-to-zero chronograph functions at 12. Hinged gold cuvette. D. White enamel, black Arabic numerals, outer minute track and concentric fifths of a second divisions, red Arabic five-second numerals, subsidiary dials for the seconds and instantaneous 30-minute register with red Arabic numerals. Blued steel fleur-de-lys hands. M. 44 mm., 20???, frosted gilt, 36 jewels, straight-line lever escapement, cut bimetallic compensation balance with blued steel Breguet balance spring with overcoil, repeating on gongs actvated by a slide on the band. Movement signed. Diam. 54 mm.
| Grading System | |
|---|---|
Grade: AAA |
Excellent |
Case: 3 |
Good |
Movement: 2* |
Very good Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense |
Dial: 1-01 |
As new HANDS Original |
Notes
Ettore Bugatti was perhaps most famous for his racing cars of the 20s and 30s which, as well as winning races, have been acknowledged as works of art. Ettore was born in Italy and as a teenager, worked for German and French car companies (De Dion, Peugeot). Having produced several car designs from 1899 for these companies, in 1909 Bugatti set up a small factory in Molsheim in France. After World War I Molsheim, previously German, became French. Bugatti is regarded a French company, Ettore preferred to speak French, and many racing cars of his factory were painted blue, the traditional French racing color. In Molsheim for over 30 years he invented, designed and produced, with astonishing variety, not only cars - which ranged from his innovative and successful tiny racing car in 1911 to the luxury limousines and grand touring cars of the 20s and 30s - but also engines, machine tools, and railway rolling stock.