Important Collectors’ Wristwatches, P...

Geneva, Oct 04, 2009

LOT 347

United States Congress Presentation Watch for Lifesaving Split-Seconds with Diablotine Henri Berthoud, Locle, No. 11484. Made for United States Congress Presentation, circa 1880. Very fine and extremely rare, large and heavy, 18K yellow gold and champleve enamel, hunting-cased keyless pocket watch with two-train independent split-seconds chronograph and 1/4 second diablotine.

C. Four-body, "bassine et filets", engine turned covers with polished borders, the sprung front cover decorated with a central medallion in black champleve enamel depicting a coastal lifesaving, the back cover with a central medallion in black and red champleve enamel of the Seal of The United States of America, reeded band, button at 11 for the start/ stop and return-to-zero of the chronograph, button at 1 for the split-seconds. Hinged gold cuvette with engine-turned border. D. White enamel, narrow radial Roman numerals, outer minute track, outermost seconds divided into quarters, subsidiary quarter-second jump diablotine. Blued steel Breguet hands. M. 21''', nickel, 25 jewels, twin barrel with tandem winding, straight-line lever escapement, cut bimetallic compensation balance, blued steel Breguet balance spring, heart-piece on the back plate with crystal roller. Dial and movement signed. Diam. 58 mm.