Important Modern and Vintage Timepieces

Geneva, Mar 11, 2012

LOT 291

VINER & CO. MARITIME HALF QUARTER REPEATING WATCH WITH ALARM Viner & Co., Inventors & Patentees, New Bond St, London, No. 744. The case with London hallmarks for 1822-1823. Very fine and extremely rare, large, half-quarter repeating, silver and gold precision deck watch with warning alarm. Accompanied by a mahogany three-tier deck box.

CHF 18,000 - 28,000

USD 20,000 - 30,000 / EUR 15,000 - 23,000

C. Four-body, ?bassine?, massive, engine-turned, gold hinges, wheel at 6 for setting the alarm hand. Hinged silver cuvette with winding apertures. D. White enamel with radial Roman numerals, outer minute track, large subsidiary seconds. Blued steel hour and minute hands, gold alarm hand, blued steel seconds hand with gold center. M. 59 mm., matte gilt, three-quarter plate, the going barrel secured by a further plate with blued steel screws, jeweled to the third wheel with screwed chatons, lateral lever escapement, chronometer-type cut bimetallic compensation balance with wedge-shaped temperature compensation weights and meantime adjustment screws, blued steel fl at balance spring with index regulator, diamond endstone, repeating on a large gong activated by depressing the pendant, further alarm train. Dial and movement signed, movement and case numbered. Diam. 70 mm.


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Grading System
Grade: AAA

Excellent
Case: 2

Very good
Movement: 2*

Very good

Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense
Dial: 3-71-01

Good

ENAMEL AND VARIOUS TYPES OF DECORATION Hairlines

HANDS Original

Notes

This large and unusual deck watch is particularly high quality with gold hinges to the case, chronometertype balance and diamond endstone. It is a precision watch intended for use at sea and has the unusual feature of a ?warning? alarm. It cannot be certain exactly what this was used for although it is likely that it was to indicate the end of a ?watch? or period of duty on the ship. Charles Edward Viner (1788-1879) was a very fi ne watch, clock and chronometer maker, he was apprenticed to Thomas Savage and became a member of the Clockmakers Company in 1813.