Important Collectors' Wristwatches, P...

Geneva, May 08, 2010

LOT 351

Attributed to Louis Audemars ? Five-Minute Repeater with Special Time Reminder Hand Attributed to Louis Audemars, No. 7926. Made circa 1875. Very fine and extremely rare and unusual, five-minute repeating, 18K gold, keyless pocket watch with extra independently adjustable reminder hand. Accompanied by a brass inlaid walnut case.

CHF 5,000 - 8,000

USD 4,800 - 7,600 / EUR 3,500 - 5,600

Sold: CHF 7,800

C. Four-body, bassine, polished, the back cover with engraved monogram highlighted with black champleve enamel, nib at 1 for setting the hour and minute hands, at 11 for the additional hand. Hinged gold cuvette, glazed gold-rimmed cover to view the movement. D. White enamel with radial Roman numerals, outer minute track with Arabic five-minute numerals, subsidiary seconds. Gold Louis XV hands, Blued steel reminder hand. M. 20???, rhodium-plated, fausses cotes decoration, 29 jewels, gold wheel train, counterpoised straight line lever escapement, cut bimetallic compensation balance, blued steel Breguet balance spring with overcoil, index regulator, repeating on gongs with two polished steel hammers activated by a slide on the band. Diam. 52 mm.


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Grading System
Grade: AAA

Excellent
Case: 3

Good
Movement: 3*

Good

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

Very good

HANDS Original

Notes

This is a very high quality watch almost certainly made by Louis Audemars. The pupose of the extra hand is likely to be for simple timing of an event. The hand can be positioned level with the minute hand and then time elapsed can be measured, or the hand can be used as an aide mémoire. An additional mechanism to operate the hand with separate setting wheels and another wheel over the hour wheel with click spring is found beneth the dial. This wheel has no means of being driven by the train