Important Collectors’ Wristwatches, P...

Geneva, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Du Rhône, Oct 15, 2006

LOT 232

"Special Escapement - Verge Without Recoil" Finot, H(orlo)ger a Versailles, No. 133. Made circa 1850. Fine and extremely rare, 18K gold pocket watch with verge escapement without recoil.

CHF 1,200 - 1,800

EUR 750 - 1,100 / USD 1,000 - 1,500

Sold: CHF 3,304

C. Four-body, "bassine et filet", engine turned and polished, coin-edge band. Hinged gold cuvette. D. White enamel by Droz, radial Roman numerals, outer minute track, secured by two screws from the front. Gold "Breguet" hands. M. 41 mm., 18''', frosted gilt, bar calibre, standing barrel, verge ecapement with contrate wheel, steel five-toothed crown wheel, steel balance staff with integral pallets, three-arm flat-rim brass balance, blued steel flat balance spring, index regulator. Cuvette signed. Diam. 48 mm.


LOADING IMAGES
Click to full view
Image
Grading System
Grade: AAA

Excellent
Case: 3-15

Good

Slightly rusted
Movement: 3*

Good

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

Good

HANDS Original

Notes

Little is known about the maker Finot of Versailles other than that he was working about 1850. The present watch is particularly interesting, having a verge escapement but developed from the standard verge into a verge type escapement that does not recoil (sans recul). The steel balance staff is cylindrical and has the pallet surfaces cut into the staff, i.e. they do not protrude. In fact this escapement is also a relative of the cylinder escapement. The invention of the verge sans recul is credited to Jean-Antoine Lépine around 1760 but it was not more widely adopted until around 1820. Indeed, Breguet used this escapement in several of his carriage clocks.