L. Leroy & Cie. No. 6 and 16047/210642 made in 1925 for M. le Comte Humbert de Liedekerke-Beaufort. One of a series of seven watches made by Mr. Léon Leroy in Paris, to satisfy the requirements of seven clients, all connoisseurs of fine watchcraft. Extremely fine and elegant 18 ct. gold self-winding watch with triple digital calendar, in original fitted box, with the original certificate and key. | Important Watches, Wristwatches and Clocks | Geneva, Hotel Des Bergues, 15th October 1994

Important Watches, Wristwatches and C...

Geneva, Hotel Des Bergues, Oct 15, 1994

LOT 71

L. Leroy & Cie. No. 6 and 16047/210642 made in 1925 for M. le Comte Humbert de Liedekerke-Beaufort. One of a series of seven watches made by Mr. Léon Leroy in Paris, to satisfy the requirements of seven clients, all connoisseurs of fine watchcraft. Extremely fine and elegant 18 ct. gold self-winding watch with triple digital calendar, in original fitted box, with the original certificate and key.

CHF 50,000 - 60,000

Sold: CHF 87,100

C. Three piece, massive, "Empire", polished, the back with a black champleve crowned crest of the Liedekerke-Beaufort family. D. Silver engine-turned with eccentric Arabic chapter ring and apertures for month, date and day. Blued steel Breguet hands. M. 18-, frosted and gilt, bar calibre, 18 jewels, straight line lever escapement, cut bimetallic balance, Breguet balance spring. The large gold winding weight, engraved: Série unique de 7 montres, fabriquées par L. Leroy & Cie.-1925, No. 6-Exécuté pour M. le Comte Humbert de Liedekerke-Beaufort, is pivoted on the border of the movement. Thirty minutes walk daily suffice to wind the movement and to provide a 30 hour going reserve. It can also be wound by a key. Both winding and hand-setting functions are operated through small squares in the band of the case, disclosed by revolving the bezel. Signed on the dial and movement. In very good condition. Diam. 51 mm. This unique series of 7 watches is described by A. Chapuis and E. Gelis in The History of the Self-Winding Watch 1770-1931, Neuchâtel, Editions du Griffon, pp. 220-223. The

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actual watch is illustrated on p. 223, fig. 141. Made from the same ébauche and with similar cases, these watches were completed with different dials upon the request of the buyers. From the French branch of a Belgian noble family, Comte Humbert de Liedekerke Beaufort, Marie Stanilas, was born in Paris on September 14th, 1890. Engineer from the "Ecole Centrale des Arts et Manufactures", Officer during the First World War, he was injured and awarded the "Croix de Guerre". Erudite bachelor, he practised all along his lite an aristocratic "Art de Vivre". He died in France in 1967. From the same series, watch No. 7, was also purchased by the Liederkerke-Beaufort family.