Important Collectors’ Wristwatches, P...

Geneva, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Du Rhône, Nov 12, 2006

LOT 111

?Hatot Early Self-Winding? Rolls "Ato", made by Hatot, No. 103085. Made in the 1930s. Very fine and unusual, self-winding, rectangular, 18K yellow gold gentleman?s wristwatch.

CHF 4,000 - 6,000

EUR 2,500 - 3,800 / USD 3,200 - 4,800

Sold: CHF 8,496

C. Two-body, solid, polished, hinged and engraved band, lapidated lugs. D. Matte silver with applied yellow gold baton indexes, outer minute track. Black "moderne" hands. M. 5 1/2''', marked "Hatot's patents pending in all countries", baguette, rhodium-plated, "fausses côtes" decoration, 15 jewels, lateral lever escapement, cut bimetallic compensation balance, Breguet balance spring, the movement, mounted on ballbearings, rolls back and forth thus winding the watch. Dial and movement signed. Dim. 37 x 17 mm. Thickness 9 mm.


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Grading System
Grade: AA

Very good
Case: 3

Good
Movement: 3*

Good

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

Good

HANDS Original

Notes

This watch represents one of the several forms of automatic winding that were made in the 1920s and 1930s in an attempt to perfect the ?self-winding? wristwatch. Rolex were the most successful, with the ?Oyster Perpetual? developed in 1930 from the Harwood self-winding wristwatch. Leon Hatot Watchmaker, jeweler, goldsmith, inventor, he was born in Chatillon sur Seine in 1883. He made movements for all the top Parisian firms, including Van Cleef, Boucheron and Mauboussin. He made electric clocks under the name of ATO, invented the "Rolls" self-winding movement licensed to Blancpain, and took over the famous business of Paul Garnier. Hatot died in 1953. At the outbreak of World War II, the firm closed its jewelry business, and the remaining stock was kept in a bank vault until it was sold at auction.