Important Watches

Geneva, Mar 20, 2010

LOT 82

Paul Ditisheim Guillaume Balance Paul Ditisheim, Fabricant, La Chaux-de-Fonds, "Compensateur Guillaume", No. 50952. Made circa 1920. Very fine and rare, hunting cased, keyless, 18K yellow gold chronometer dress watch with Guillaume compensation balance.

CHF 2,200 - 3,200

USD 2,000 - 3,000 / EUR 1,500 - 2,200

Sold: CHF 2,640

C. Four-body, demi-bassine, solid, polished, hinged gold cuvette. D. Double-sunk, white enamel with bold Breguet numerals, outer minute track, sunk subsidiary seconds dial. Blued steel Breguet hands. M. Cal. 18''', inscribed « Grand Prix Paris 1900 », rhodiumplated, 18 jewels, straight-line lever escapement, anibal-brass Guillaume balance, blued steel Breguet balance spring with terminal curve, index regulator. Dial, case and movement signed. Diam. 53 mm.


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Grading System
Grade: AA

Very good
Case: 3-19

Good

Dent(s)
Movement: 3*

Good

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

Very good

HANDS Original

Notes

Paul Ditisheim (1868-1945). He was born on October 28th, 1868, in Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. He died in Geneva on February 7th, 1945. After early training in Switzerland, he studied in Berlin and Paris, arriving in England in 1891, where he worked as a technician at the Rotherham factory in Coventry. He started his own manufacture at Chaux-de-Fonds in 1892, specializing in very high precision watches and jeweled watches. Success in both spheres followed rapidly, and he won many honors for adjusted watches, especially at the Neuchâtel and Kew Observatories.
He collaborated with Dr. Ch. E. Guillaume in the use of both the Guillaume ?integral? balance and the elinvar-type of autocompensating balance spring. He also contributed many papers to scientific and horological journals, and was associated with Dr. Paul Woog, an oil chemist, in the development of Chronax oils.