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Hotel Nogalhilton Geneve, Nov 11, 2001

LOT 295

Northern Goldsmith's Co., Makers to the Lords of the Admiralty, Newcastle, No. 2050, hallmarked 1918.Very fine and rare 18K gold hunting-cased, keyless one-minute off-center tourbillon regulator pocket chronometer.

CHF 70,000 - 90,000

USD 45,000 - 55,000

Sold: CHF 102,500

C. Massive, four-body, "bassine", solid, stepped bezels, polished, five-piece hinges, gold glazed cuvette.D. Off-white enamel, radial Arabic numerals, outer minute ring, subsidiary sunk seconds. Gold "spade" hands.M. 44 mm, gilt brass, three-quarter plate, going barrel, one minute off-center Better type carriage with straight line lever escapement, cut bimetallic compensation balance with gold temperature and mean-time adjusting screws, blued steel free-sprung balance spring with Phillips outer curve, train jeweled to the center, escapement with endstones, pin-set.Signed on dial and movement, case punched with maker's mark, as is the pillar plate under the dial.Diam. 56 mm.


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Grading System
Grade:
Case: 3

Good
Movement: 2*

Very good

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

Notes

An excellent example of the second Sidney Better of Clarkenwell tourbillon carriage. According to R. Meis, only eight are known to exist. The watch is described and illustrated in "Le Tourbillon" by Reinhard Meis, Editions de l'Amateur, Paris 1990, p. 227.