Important collector's watches, wristw...

Hotel Richemond, Geneva, Apr 13, 2002

LOT 64

Girard-Perregaux, La Chaux-de-Fonds, tourbillon by Ernest Guinand, exhibition piece, circa 1876-77, cased circa 1920. Exceptionally fine 18K gold and white gold keyless pocket chronometer with ?gold three bridge? movement, one-minute tourbillon regulator, one of only two examples ever made in such small dimensions.

CHF -

EUR 0 - 0 / USD 0 - 0

Sold: CHF 531,500

C. Three-piece, ?Empire?, engine-turned, gold bezels, pendant and bow, white gold band. D. Off-white enamel, by Porret, small and elegant radial Roman numerals, outer minute divisions with five-minute dot markers, subsidiary seconds at 3 o?clock, rounded triangular seconds chapter, similar triangular shield at 9 o?clock inscribed ?Tourbillon by Ernest Guinand?. Blued steel ?spade? hands. M. 31.9 mm (14???), nickel with patented three parallel gold bridges, pillar plate finely damascened on both sides, going barrel damascened in radial ?sunburst? pattern, gold wheels, 19 jewels, the top ones in gold settings, Ernest Guinand second type one-minute tourbillon cage with pivoted detent escapement, 21,600 frequency, cut bimetallic compensation balance, blued steel Breguet balance spring with amplitude safety device. Signed on dial and movement. Diam. 37 mm.


LOADING IMAGES
Click to full view
Image
Grading System
Grade:
Case: 3

Good
Movement: 3*

Good

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

Very good

HANDS Original

Notes

On March 25, 1884 a patent (No. 144919) was filed in a USA patent office for a watch movement whose bridge consisted of: a bridge having a central annular portion, spread-out ends and bar-like portions between the said annular portions and ends, as shown?? This proved to be one of the most successful watch movement designs ever. It has been used by Girard-Perregaux up to now. Even today, their most prestigious watch, the 13??? wrist tourbillon uses the same design. On top of the simplicity and elegancy of the design, at the time it appears to be the smallest tourbillon in the world. Only two examples have been made. This one, because of its uniqueness, was chosen to illustrate Girard Perregaux?s achievements in Watches by Cecil Clutton and George Daniels, London, 1979, fig. 320, and in Le Tourbillon by Reinhard Meis, Paris, 1990, pp. 140-41. Back in the 1890?s, to make such small watch with tourbillon carriage was a tremendous achievement. Guinand made the watch at the end of his career, the years of experience enabling him to make it so small, possibly he wanted to leave for posterity a record that would not be broken for a long time. He was right. It took almost 40 years to make a smaller one (10 1/2??? made in 1927 by James Pellaton and 8 3/4??? made in 1945 by Fritz-Robert Charrue. Ernest Guinand (c. 1810 ? 1879), An important Master horologist from Le Locle, along with Auguste Grether from Ponts-de-Martel (1817-1879), he specialized in the production of tourbillon carriages. Judging by the records of the Neuchâtel Observatory, Guinand?s production of tourbillons began between 1865 and 67. He designed three models of tourbillon carriages, always based on an A-shaped frame. Guinand worked for several important makers including Girard-Perregaux and Montandon. The Observatory of Neuchâtel records indicate that the number of tourbillons supplied to Girard-Perregaux can be esteemed between 22 and 25. Most were equipped with pivoted detent escapement, one with spring detent and a few with lever escapement. Most of his carriages were not signed and can only be identified by their characteristic A-shape.