Fritz Robert-Charrue, born in 1908, was undoubtedly one of the finest watchmakers of his age. Apprenticed to James Pellaton, he Iater succeeded him as teacher and Director at the Technicum in Le Locle. Charrue was head of production for Doxa, anci Iater establishecl a watchmaking business in association with Lovaxy in Le Locle, which manufactured for Rolex. On the death of his associate, he organised a small firm producing skeletonished coin watches based on IWC movements. However, he is best remembered as the creator of the smallest pocket watch "tourbillon" ever made. The carriage itself was only 8 mm in diameter, and the movement 8 3/4" '; compared to the watch by James Pellaton which measured 10 1/2"'. Alongside this extraorclinary achievement, Charrue also completed five pocket lever tourbillons for Breguet, but the watch now offered for sale, with spring detent chronometer escapement can be considered as his masterpiece. His standard of finishing was exceptional, and the enclless hours that he spent at this workbench led his wife to remark that she knew him better from his back than face to face. Litterature: Illustrated and describecl in R. Meis, Das Tourbillon, Munich 1986, page 184. A Chapuis, Grands Artisans de la Chronométrie, Neuchâtel, 1958, pl. 222. J. C. Pellaton, Le Tourbillon, Paris 1951.