A TRIBUTE TO PRECISION AND COMPLICATE...

Hotel Nogalhilton Geneve, Nov 11, 2001

LOT 3

Timekeeper with 1 ComplicationJoh(an) Hen(rich) Bachoffen, Zürich, circa 1700.Fine and very rare gilt silver, pair-cased quarter-repeating watch.

C. Outer: two-body, "bassine" with square hinge, bezels pierced and engraved with scrolling foliage, small vignettes with animals, back chased with foliage, and scrolling surmounted by two exotic birds. Inner: two-body, "bassine", band pierced and engraved with foliage, polished back with small engraved rosette. D. Gilt silver, champlevé Roman numerals, inner half-hour ring with fleur-de-lis pointers, outer minute ring with five-minute Arabic markers in oval polished cartouches, center chased wih symmetrical scrolls. Blued steel "beetle and poker" hands. M. 39,7 mm, gilt brass, full plate with unusual lion-head pillars, fusee and chain, verge escapement, plain three-arm balance, flat balance spring, single-footed pierced and engraved cock with straight foot and long streamers, applied plate over the movement decorated en suite to the cock foot, worm-gear and wheel set-up, rack and pinion regulator with silver plate, repeating on a bell by depressing the pendant.Signed on dial and movement.Diam. 60 mm.