Importantes Montres de Collection

Geneva, May 15, 2011

LOT 542

Grandjean - Minute-Repeating with Original Box Certificate and Alternate Dial Henri GrandJean & Co, Locle, No. 33091. Made for South American market, circa 1880. Very fine and very rare, minute repeating, 18K pink gold, hunting cased, keyless pocket watch. Accompanied by the original rosewood fitted box, original certificate, original envelope, a second signed and numbered white enamel dial, spare crystal and spare mainspring.

CHF 13,000 - 18,000

USD 14,000 - 20,000 / EUR 10,000 - 14,000

Sold: CHF 23,750

C. Four-body, "bassine et filets" with flat covers richly engraved with foliage and flowers, bezels and band engraved with a repeated pattern. Hinged gold cuvette. D. Frosted solid silver with applied gold foliate border, center with applied gold bird in flight, rose and foliage, radial black Roman numerals on matte and engraved ring, subsidiary seconds. Blued steel spade hands. The second dial: White enamel, Roman numerals, outer minute track, subsidiary seconds. Both with snap-on fit for easy exchange. M. 39 mm., 18''', rhodium plated, fausses cotes decoration, 30 jewels, wolf?s tooth winding, counterpoised straight-line lever escapement, cut bimetallic compensation balance with blued steel Breguet balance spring, index regulator, repeating on gongs activated by a slide in the band. Dial, case, cuvette and movement signed. Diam. 49 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

A watch complete with all the originally supplied appurtenances is rarely found; here the certificate even retains its original envelope. On the back of the certificate are all the awards won by GrandJean since 1841. At the first London Universal Exposition in 1851, the firm won a First Class medal. The list continues until 1868, when an award was won for marine chronometers. In between the two they received at least eight other awards, not including those from the Neuchâtel Observatory. Henri Grandjean, along with Constant Girard (later Girard-Perregaux), was one of the first to enter the South American Market. He was also one of the first, along with Ulysse Nardin, to establish marine chronometer manufacturing in Switzerland.