Important collector's watches, wristw...

Hotel Richemond, Geneva, Apr 13, 2002

LOT 414

L. Leroy & Cie, 7. Bd de la Madeleine, Paris, No. 2014/64415, sold to Madame Chataigne on December 1, 1908 for 1,000 Francs. Very fine 18K gold keyless lever chronometer, accompanied by Bulletin de Marche from the Besançon Observatory confirming the watch obtained the First Prize at the timing contest, category A, November 27, 1906 - January 10, 1907, with 242 marks, with original gold medal won at that Contest, original bill of sale and in original mahogany fitted box.

CHF 10,000 - 15,000

EUR 7,000 - 10,000 / USD 6,000 - 9,000

Sold: CHF 32,200

C. Four-body, solid ?bassine?, polished with blue champlevé enamel initials ?EC? on the back, gold hinged cuvette engraved with details of the price awarded. D. White enamel, radial Roman numerals, outer minute ring with five-minute Arabic markers, subsidiary sunk seconds. M. 43 mm. (19???), frosted gilt, 18 jewels, straight line lever escapement, Guillaume anibal-brass cut bimetallic compensation balance, blued steel balance spring with terminal curve, punched with the viper?s head, wolf-tooth winding wheels, pin-set. Signed on dial and case. Diam. 51 mm.


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Grading System
Grade: AA

Very good
Case: 3

Good
Movement: 3

Good
Dial: 3-01

Good

HANDS Original

Notes

For an explanation of Guillaume anibal-brass balance see lot No. 5. For a biography of L. Leroy & Cie., see lot 407. Viper?s head was the official Besançon Observatory hallmark acknowledging the fact that the watch took part in one of their timing contests and was awarded the First Prize. Results of the Bulletin de Marche: Maximum average variation 3.14s Variation between horizontal and vertical positions -0.53 Average daily error ±0.30 Average positional error ±25 Temperature compensation error for 1oC +0.06 Restart +0.06