Important collector's watches, wristw...

Hotel Richemond, Geneva, Apr 13, 2002

LOT 286

A Lot of four Swiss Made "Aerotel" wristwatches with very special lug designs, produced in the 1950?s: A. Ref. 779. D. Ref. 771. Very fine, oversized, 18K pink gold gentleman's wristwatch with square button chronograph, register and tachometer. Accompanied by box. C. Ref. 775. Very fine, oversized, 18K pink gold gentleman's wristwatch with square button chronograph, register and tachometer. Accompanied by box. B. Ref. 794. Very fine, oversized, 18K pink gold gentleman's wristwatch with square button chronograph, register and tachometer. Accompanied by box. Very fine, oversized, 18K pink gold gentleman's wristwatch with square button chronograph, register and tachometer. Accompanied by box. A. Ref. 779. Very fine, oversized, 18K pink gold gentleman's wristwatch with square button chronograph, register and tachometer. Accompanied by box.

CHF 18,000 - 22,000

USD 11,000 - 13,000

A:C. three-body, solid, polished and brushed, waved geometrical-shaped brushed lugs, faceted winding-crown. D:C. three-body, solid, polished and brushed, stepped geometrical-shaped polished and brushed lugs, faceted winding-crown. D. matte silver with pink gold painted Arabic numerals and indexes, auxiliary seconds and 45 minutes register dials, outer tachometer graduation. "Bâton" pink gold hands. M. Cal. 13''', rhodium-plated, 17 jewels, straight line lever escapement, monometallic balance, self-compensating Breguet balance-spring. Case and movement signed Montbrillant Watch. Diam. 35 mm. C:C. three-body, solid, polished and brushed, stepped geometrical-shaped polished and brushed lugs, faceted winding-crown. D. matte silver with applied pink gold Arabic numerals, auxiliary seconds and 45 minutes register dials, outer tachometer graduation. "Bâton" pink gold hands. M. Cal. 13''', rhodium-plated, 17 jewels, straight line lever escapement, monometallic balance, self-compensating Breguet balance-spring. Case and movement signed Montbrillant Watch. Diam. 35 mm. B:C. three-body, solid, polished and brushed, overhanging stepped teardrop-shaped lugs, faceted winding-crown. D. pink with applied pink gold Arabic numerals, auxiliary seconds and 45 minutes register dials, outer tachometer graduation. "Bâton" blued steel hands. M. Cal. 13''', rhodium-plated, 17 jewels, straight line lever escapement, monometallic balance, self-compensating Breguet balance-spring. Case and movement signed Montbrillant Watch. Diam. 35 mm. D. matte silver with pink gold painted stylized Arabic numerals and dot indexes, auxiliary seconds and 45 minutes register dials, outer tachometer graduation. "Bâton" pink gold hands. M. Cal. 13''', rhodium-plated, 17 jewels, straight line lever escapement, monometallic balance, self-compensating Breguet balance-spring. Case and movement signed Montbrillant Watch. Diam. 35 mm.


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Grading System
Grade: AA

Very good
Case: 2

Very good
Movement: 2

Very good
Dial: 2-01

Very good

HANDS Original

Notes

These four wristwatches are all from an "old-new stock" and what makes them particularly interesting is the originality of their lug designs. The MONTBRILLIANT WATCH MANUFACTORY, which produced the model "Aerotel", is one of the companies part of G. LEON BREITLING SA. In 1884, Léon Breitling founded a watchmaking firm in St. Imier, which began under the name of G. LEON BREITLING. In 1892, the firm moved to La Chaux de Fonds and was named as follows: G. LEON BREITLING SA, MONTBRILLANT WATCH MANUFACTORY. It is interesting to note that Montbrillant was the name of the street where the factory was built. In 1905, L. Breitling received the Swiss patent No. 34871 for a sports tachymeter-counter. Léon Breitling died in 1914 and was succeeded by his son Gaston, who was determined to develop the chronograph market. BREITLING claimed to have invented the first wrist chronograph in 1914, which was a stopwatch attached to the arm by a leather band. Being of interest for the army, a number of governments placed orders and it was marketed in 1915. The company was listed in 1920 for making chronographs, timers, as well as counters for automobiles and airplanes. Even after the death of Gaston Breitling in 1927, the firm continued to specialize in chronographs. An advertisement in 1935 said G. L. BREITLING SA, MONTBRILLANT WATCH MANUFACTORY, minute recorders, fly-back chronographs, and sports meters. The word "manufactory" indicated that they were producing the whole watch themselves. Literature: "Swiss Timepiece Makers 1775-1975", by Kathleen H. Pritchard, published for NAWCC, Inc., Phoenix Publishing, West Kennebunk, Maine, USA, 1997, pp. B-108 and B-109.