Ferdinand Berthoud, à Paris, No. 310, bearing the Paris hallmarks for 1758-1759. Extremely fine and unique, 20 ct. gold and enamel, dumb quarter-repeating, 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, the enamel painted by Hamelin. | L\'ART DE L\'HORLOGERIE EN FRANCE DE XVIe AU XXe SIÈCLE | Geneva, Hotel Des Bergues, 14th November 1993

L\'ART DE L\'HORLOGERIE EN FRANCE DE ...

Geneva, Hotel Des Bergues, Nov 14, 1993

LOT 84

Ferdinand Berthoud, à Paris, No. 310, bearing the Paris hallmarks for 1758-1759. Extremely fine and unique, 20 ct. gold and enamel, dumb quarter-repeating, 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, the enamel painted by Hamelin.

CHF 160,000 - 180,000

Sold: CHF 270,250

C. Double body, Louis XV, the bezels with enamelled floral decoration, the back with a finely painted urn of flowers signed Hamelin, (slightly restored). D. White enamel with Roman numerals, outer Arabic minute ring and subsidiary seconds. Gold Louis XV hands. M. Hinged gilt brass full plate with cylindrical pillars, fusee with chain, large brass wheel cylinder 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. Repeating on the case with a single polished steel hammer, the complete repeating mechanism (repeating work and wheel train), set between the dial and the front 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 in Ferdinand Berthoud's work. It 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 January 12, 1760, he made some 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. The repeating train, with the entire repeating work mounted between the dial and the front plate is another feature which appears to be unique in the history of horology. Hamelin 'vas a French enamel painter, \ 'ho specialised in floral decoration. He signed, in 1758, the six panels of a gold snuff-box, latterly from the Founes collection, and also painted with bunches of flowers.