Important Collectors’ Wristwatches, P...

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

LOT 278

?Carillon Minute Repeater? H(enri) Barbezat-Bôle, Le Locle, attributable to Eduard JeanRichard, Le Locle, No. 3684. Made circa 1920. Fine and very rare, 18K gold, keyless hunting-cased pocket watch with carillon minute-repeating on four gongs.

CHF 28,000 - 35,000

EUR 18,000 - 22,000 / USD 22,000 - 28,000

C. Four-body, ?demi-bassine?, polished. Hinged gold cuvette. D. White enamel with Breguet numerals, outer minute divisions, subsidiary seconds. Blued steel ?Breguet? hands. M. 45 mm. (20'''), gilt brass, 29 jewels, counterpoised straight- line lever escapement, cut bimetallic compensation balance with five adjustments, blued steel Breguet balance spring, index regulator, repeating on four gongs with four hammers activated by a slide in the band. Movement and cuvette signed. Diam. 54 mm. Property of a Swiss Collector


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Grading System
Grade: AA

Very good
Case: 3-12

Good

Worn
Movement: 3*

Good

Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense
Dial: 2-01

Very good

HANDS Original

Notes

Carillon watches with minute-repeating on four hammers are as rare as those with Westminster chimes. Eduard JeanRichard specialized in musical watches. He made a carillon watch for seven gongs playing the Swiss National Anthem. He found his own retail company in 1915. Before that he specialized in ebauches made for other companies. In the 1920s, in addition to regular watches, the company advertized carillon watches playing, among other tunes, "God save the King".