Important Watches, Pocket Watches and...

Noga Hilton Hotel, Nov 13, 2005

LOT 119

?Westminster Chimes Carillon Minute Repeating? Attributable to Eduard JeanRichard, Le Locle, No. 3688. Made on special order for an Oriental client, circa 1920. Very fine and very rare 18K gold and painted on enamel hunting-cased keyless minute-repeating carillon watch with Westminster chimes.

CHF 24,000 - 30,000

EUR 16,000 - 20,000 / USD 20,000 - 25,000

Sold: CHF 32,200

C. Four-body, "bassine" polished, the inside of the front cover enamelled with a very finely painted on enamel portrait of a young lady, the back cover engraved with a coat of arms, motto and date. Gold hinged cuvette. D. White enamel with ?dauphine? Arabic numerals, outer minute track, subsidiary seconds. Blued steel "spade" hands. M. 45 mm. (20'''), gilt brass, 32 jewels, straight line lever escapement, cut bimetallic compensation balance with blued steel Breguet balance spring, index regulator, repeating on four gongs with four hammers activated by a slide in the band. Diam. 54 mm.


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Grading System
Grade:
Case: 3-7

Good

Oxidized
Movement: 3*

Good

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

Good

HANDS Original

Notes

The present watch is of the type usually made for the Indian market, the finely enamelled portrait of the young lady is also typical of those high quality enamels made for the Indian market. However, the engraved motto is of Middle Eastern origin and the lady depicted in the enamel is European in appearance. Carillon minute repeating watches are very rare, with Westminster chimes only few are known to exist. Eduard JeanRichard specialized in musical watches. He made a carillon watch for seven gongs playing the Swiss National Anthem. He found his own retail company in 1915. Before that he specialized in ebauches made for other companies. In 1920's, in addition to regular watches, the company advertized making carillon watches, playing, among others, "God save the King". In Musée International d'Horlogere in La Chaux-de-Fonds there is an identical watch as the present one featured also in Grands Artisans de la Chronométrie by Alfred Chapuis, p. 227.