Alfred Helwig (1886-1974).One of the most eminent German precision watchmakers. He was apprenticed to master watchmaker Gustav Dunkel from 1900-1904, then entered the Deutschen Uhrmacherschule, which he finished the following year. His great ability were noticed by Bavarian master watchmaker Georg Braun, who offered him a position in his firm. However, one year later the young Helwig returned to Glashütte and found employment in the Glashütter Präzisions-Uhrenfabrik AG, where he worked until 1908. During this time his hoological interests evolved and began to focus on chronometry. For that reason he went to Hamburg to acquire practical knowledge in the production of precision timekeepers, working for a year at the Chronometerwerke Hamburg. In 1909 he returned to Glashütte to polish his knowledge, returning afterwards to the Glashütter Präzisions-Uhrenfabrik for two years. During this time he also became an independent chronometer maker. On April 1, 1913, he found the fitting place for his talents at the Deutscen Uhrmacherschule, where in time he became professor and director of practical watchmaking, staying until his retirement. During WW I he was drafted, but as soon as the war ended he came back to the school. Very organized and disciplined, as demanding of himself as he was of his students, he knew how to encourage them to work to the best of their capabilities, while conserving their enthusiasm for horology. From his own experience he knew exactly how the talent is best nourished and he employedthis understanding with great success. In the workshop he hung up the motto: "here we don't only make watchmakers, we make watchmakers extraordinary people with characters". Despite his professional discipline he was also very understanding and allowed his students small joys, even if they were not exactly within the school philosophy. For instance, in the middle of summer he would allow a student to go and buy ice cream for the entire class. To avoid the school director's anger, he gave the stuent an empty marine chronometer box to hide the ice cream in. When the director intercepted the student in the entry hall, he thought that the student was carrying a fragile and expensive marine chronometer, and allowed him to pass.During his years at the school, there were many wonderful improvements in the field of horology done by his students as well as himself and many excellent watches were built, of which the present lot is the masterpiece. In 1922 Helwig became a master. He was so appreciated that on his 64th birthday, his students all donated their monthly rations (in Eastern Germany food was rationed then) to make a large cake for him.He wrote articles, pamphlets and books, of which the best known is "Drehganguhren and Die Feinstellung", co-authored with Dr. K. Giebel (the ice-cream opposing director), which is one of the most comprehensive works on technical watchmaking.He was an enthusiastic advocate of automobiles, being the second in Glashütte, after Emil Lange, to have a driver's license, and worked on car engines, probably with the same precision as he worked on watches. In one of his letters he writes: "I used to have a Bugatti (1925) and whenever I drove through Glashütte people hid behind their curtains and made the sign of the cross".He died on May 18, 1974, and was laid to rest with other accomplished members of the DUR. On the 25th anniversary of his death Lange introduced a new model, called "Helwig", employing his flying tourbillon. Only 25 pieces were made.No. 24, made under the direction of Alfred Helwig, was sold by Antiquorum in Geneva on October 14, 1990, lot 473. Flying tourbillons were made as masterpieces by the best pupils of the Deutsche Uhrmacherschule in Glashütte, according to the principals and under the direction of Professor Alfred Helwig. They represent the ultimate achievement in the making of revolving escapements. The few examples made at the Lange School can certainly be counted amongst the masterpieces of German horology.