Important Collectors Watches, Pocket ...

Hong Kong, Jun 08, 2008

LOT 29

Five-Minute Quarter-Repeating Attributed to Louis Audemars, No. 25576. Made circa 1860. Very fine, unusual and possibly unique, 18K gold, five-minute quarter-repeating lever chronometer pocket watch with early keyless Audemars stem winding and hand-setting system. To be sold without reserve

HKD 40,000 - 60,000

USD 5,200 - 8,000 / EUR 3,200 - 5,000

Sold: HKD 72,000

C. Four-body, "bassine et filets", polished, engine-turned back, bolt between 10 and 11 for engaging the hand-setting. Hinged gold cuvette. D. White enamel with radial narrow Roman numerals, outer minute track, subsidiary seconds. Blued steel Breguet hands. M. 41 mm, 18???, frosted gilt, 31 jewels, Audemars keyless winding, wolf?s-tooth winding wheels, gold wheel train, counterpoised straightline lever escapement, cut bimetallic compensation balance with gold meantime and temperature adjustment screws, blued-steel Breguet balance spring with overcoil, index regulator, repeating on gongs activated by a slide on the band. Movement and case numbered. Diam. 49 mm.


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Grading System
Grade: AAA

Excellent
Case: 3-15

Good

Slightly rusted
Movement: 3**

Good

Repair required, at buyer's expense
Dial: 2-01

Very good

HANDS Original

Notes

The present watch is of extremely high quality and is notable for the unusual winding and setting system. In particular, it has a very individual and perhaps unique form of repeating. The hours and quarters are struck in the usual way ? single blows for the hours followed by a double blow for each elapsed quarter-hour. However a further single blow is struck for five minutes past the quarter and then a double blow for 10 minutes past the quarter. In other words this watch is a more advanced form of half-quarter repeater distinguishing between and identifying the actual five minute intervals. For example, the time 2:20pm would repeat as follows: two single blows for the hours, a double blow for the quarter and a single blow for the five minutes past the quarter. However, 2:25pm would repeat as follows: two single blows for the hours, a double blow for the quarter and a double blow for the ten minutes past the quarter. This sequence is followed through for each quarter-hour.
A watch with similar winding and hand-setting system is illustrated in: ?Louis Benjamin Audemars, His Life and Work?, Hartmut Zantke, 2003, p. 206.