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Hotel Nogalhilton Geneve, Nov 11, 2001

LOT 258

"Construite par Louis Berthoud, Horloger de la Marine" No. 130, "Grande Montre Marine", begun in July 1809, finished in January 1811, sold to le Comte de Rosily (for the Department of the Marine) on October 8, 1811.Very fine 2 day-going, marine chronometer à tabatière, with regulator dial. Accompanied by a later mahogany box.

CHF 10,000 - 16,000

USD 6,300 - 10,000

Sold: CHF 23,000

C. Two piece (back lacking), "tabatière", gilt silver with glazed bezel secured by two screws fitted in mahogany, three-piece, unglazed bezel in the middle part, top with circular ivory plaque, lock between the bottom and the middle parts, sliding brass shuttle in the base panel. D. White enamel by Vincent, eccentric radial Roman hour chapter set at 12 o'clock, center minutes with five-minute Arabic markers, subsidiary seconds. Blued steel Breguet hands. M. 75 mm, brass full plate with conical pllars, fusee with Harrison's maintaining power and chain, very fine train with a high number of teeth and leaves, Earnshaw type spring detent escapement (updated from pivoted detent Louis Berthoud escapement), large Z type bimetallic compensation balance with gold temperature and mean time adjustment screws, blued steel Breguet balance spring updated from three-arm balance with conical or cylindrical Louis Berthoud balance spring, jeweled to the third wheel, entire train with steel endplates toeduce friction, balance with jeweled endstones.Signed on dial and movement.Dim. Bowl 84 mm diam., box 13 x 13 x 8 cm.


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Grading System
Grade: AA

Very good
Case: 3

Good
Movement: 3 - 14 - 16
Dial: 3 - 13 - 01

Notes

One of the last large marine chronometers made by Louis Berthoud. Their manufacture in later years was entrusted to Berthoud's pupils. Louis Berthoud's work is always unmistakable in its conception as well as in its finish. For details of the clock's production, see "La Longitude en mer à l'heure de Louis Berthoud et Henri Motel", by Jean-Claude Sabrier, Antiquorum Editions, Geneva, 1993, p. 560 and p. 145, for the illustration of a similar chronometer.