Important Collectors’ Wristwatches Po...

Geneva, Hotel Des Bergues, Apr 22, 1995

LOT 425

Ferdinand Berthoud, à Paris, No. 276, bearing the Paris hallmarks for 1758 - 1759. Extremely fine and unique, 20 ct. varicoloured gold, Montre à secondes qui va huit jours sans remonter, dont le régulateur est formé par deux balanciers qui font un battement à chaque seconde, constructed on the principle described in Ferdinand Berthoud: Essai sur l'Horlogerie, published in 1786, pages 216 to 221, plate No. XXVII, fig, 6-7-8-9 and 10.

CHF 80,000 - 100,000

USD 65,000 - 85,000

Sold: CHF 97,750

C. Double body, Louis XV, by Horace Benedict Pasteur (Master Mark) the bezels chased with rocaille and foliage decoration, the back chased with with flowers and four coloured gold gardening throphies. D. White enamel by F.R. Vincent (signed on the enamel backing) with Roman numerals, outer Arabic minute ring and subsidiary seconds. Gold Louis XV hands. M. Hinged gilt brass full plate with column pillars, fusee with chair, large 60 teeth brass wheel escapement with two plain polished steel balances geared together, single flat balance spring, large single gilt brass continental cock with a polished steel end-piece for each balance stopped at will by means of a lever on the dial plate. Signed on the dial and back plate. In very good condition. Diam. 48 mm.


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Notes

This watch appears to be unique without repeating work in Ferdinand Berthoud's work, the only other watch of this type known to exist was sold by Antiquorum on 14 November 1993, lot 84 of L'Art de l'Horlogerie en France. Slightly later, this watch was in a gold and enamel case and fitted with a very unusual repeating mechanism set between the dial and the front plate. The actual watch is fully described in the Essai sur l'Horlogerie as indicated above. Ferdinand Berthoud states that the watch is made in such a way that it could also be fitted with a single balance only. On 12 January 1760, he made sonie experiments at cold temperatures with this actual watch in order to compare its rate with that of another eight-day going, dead seconds watch, made the previous year with a seconds-beating single balance. Horace Benédict Pasteur (dead before 1772), case maker. His Master mark was "H.B.P.". Worked in freeland until 1749. Master on 21 January 1751 by a decree dated 15 December 1750. Used to work, first in the Enclos de l'Abbaye de Saint Germain des Près (1749) then Rue Saint Louis au Palais from 1750. Worked for F. Berthoud, Pierre Le Roy (son of Julien). Information kindly provided by Jean Dominique Augarde, the author of Les Ouvriers du temps, due by Antiquorum Editions, Autumn 1995.