Important Wristwatches, Watches & Clocks

Geneva, Hotel Des Bergues, Oct 17, 1992

LOT 360

Anonymous, France, circa 1860. Unusual giIt bronze and gray orbicular marbIe center seconds beating, striking moon phase, astronomical clock with exposed special escapement and secular perpetual calendar.

CHF 30,000 - 35,000

Sold: CHF 29,900

C. Rectangular with slightly slanted sides, set on four griffins and with a cornice in giIt bronze with palm leaf decoration. D. Eccentric mat silvered with Roman numerals and outer Arabic minute ring, outer seconds ring on the border. Blued steel trefoil hands. Moon phase aperture below the dial and three subsidiary silvered dial on the base for the days of the week, the date, with inner age of the moon, and the months. M. Brass, mouvement de Paris type, with going barrels on both trains, unusual escapement à coups perdus, with jewelled pallets, exposed on the dial, hait second beating pendulum with Brocot suspension. Hour and half hour striking on a bell, with count wheel on the back plate. Driven by the striking train, the perpetual calendar mechanism is of the type invented by Bienayme à Dieppe (France), in 1842. In very good condition. Dim. 40 x 27 x 20 cm.


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Notes

The mechanism of the secular, perpetual calendar, invented by Bienaymé, is described and illustrated in Tardy: La pendule française, 5th edition, third part, page 74.