The Mondani Collection of Rolex Wrist...

Geneva, May 14, 2006

LOT 783

?Westminster Chime Minute Repeating? Longines, movement No. 3745/119. Made by Eduard Jean Richard, Le Locle, circa 1920. Very fine and very rare, 18K gold, hunting-cased, keyless pocket watch with carillon Westminster chime minute-repeating. Accompanied by the original Longines fitted wooden box.

CHF 32,000 - 40,000

EUR 20,000 - 25,000 / USD 25,000 - 30,000

Sold: CHF 49,560

C. Four-body, "bassine" polished. Hinged gold cuvette. D. White enamel, Breguet 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. Signed on the dial. Diam. 55 mm.


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Grading System
Grade:
Case: 3

Good
Movement: 3*

Good

Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense
Dial: 3-13-01

Good

Slightly damaged

HANDS Original

Notes

Carillon minute repeating watches are very rare; only a few are known with Westminster chimes. Eduard Jean Richard specialized in musical watches. He made a carillon watch with seven gongs playing the Swiss National Anthem. He founded his own retail company in 1915. Before that he specialized in ebauches made for other companies. In the 1920s, in addition to regular watches, the company advertized carillon watches, playing, among other tunes, "God save the King". The ebauches of the watches by Jean Richard are quite distinctive and watches with identical ebauches signed by various makers have been sold by Antiquorum: Geneva, October 19, 2002, lot 8. Hong Kong, July 10, 2005, lot 83. Geneva, November 11, 2005, lot 119. Longines - Jean Richard