Important Modern & Vintage Timepieces

Hong - Kong, Oct 09, 2010

LOT 238

Lebet ? Watch with Ultra- Thin Movement of 2mm. Lebet & Fils, a Buttes en Suisse, movement No. 1122, case No. 1022. Made circa 1840. Fine and very rare, 18K gold and enamel, extra-flat, pocket watch with movement of only 2mm thickness and gold wheel train.

HKD 53,000 - 70,000

USD 7,000 - 9,000 / EUR 5,300 - 7,000

Sold: HKD 87,500

C. Four-body, 'bassine pincée', with elaborate floral engraving and polychrome champlevé enamel decoration, reeded band, hinged front cover with eccentric glazed aperture for the dial. Hinged gold cuvette with engineturned border. D. Silver, painted radial Roman numerals, outer minute divisions, floral engraved center. Blued-steel Breguet hands. M. 39 mm., thickness: 2 mm, gilt brass Lepine caliber, 14 jewels, gold wheel train, cylinder escapement, plain three-arm balance, flat balance spring, index regulator, female winding. Cuvette signed. Diam. 45 mm. Thickness 4 mm


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Grading System
Grade: AAA

Excellent
Case: 3-24-75

Good

Slightly chipped

ENAMEL AND VARIOUS TYPES OF DECORATION Slightly restored soft enamel
Movement: 3*

Good

Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense
Dial: 3-6-01

Good

Slightly oxidized

HANDS Original

Notes

The present watch is exceptionally thin for the period, thinner than most even with bagnolet caliber movements. It was evidently made as a special piece because apart from the extreme thinness of the movement the wheel train is made of gold and it has a higher number of jewels than most watches of this period. It was not until the 20th century that makers such as Vacheron & Constantin made watches of equal thinness.