Important Modern & Vintage Timepieces

Geneva, May 13, 2012

LOT 360

REVOLUTIONARY CALENDAR WITH HOLIDAY MONTH INDICATION Swiss, case No. 6128. Made circa 1795. Fine and very rare, 18K gold pocket watch with Revolutionary calendar, 5-day holiday month indication and traditional duo-decimal hours.

CHF 7,000 - 9,000

USD 7,600 - 10,000 / EUR 5,800 - 7,500

C. Two-body, polished. D. White enamel with Arabic numerals 1-12, outer Revolutionary days of the decade, inner 5-day holiday month indication. Gilt Breguet hands, blued steel calendar hand. M. 48 mm, hinged, gilt brass full plate, cylindrical pillars, fusee and chain, verge escapement, plain brass three-arm balance, blued-steel balance spring, continental cock pierced and engraved with scrolls, polished steel endplate. Diam. 54 mm.


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Grading System
Grade: AAA

Excellent
Case: 3

Good
Movement: 3*

Good

Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense
Dial: 3-75-01

Good

ENAMEL AND VARIOUS TYPES OF DECORATION Slightly restored soft enamel

HANDS Original

Notes

After the French Revolution a new digital calendar was adopted, the entire time measurement system was changed. The revolutionary year was divided into 12 equal months having 30 days each and an additional 5-day (6-day in a leap year) holiday month; each month was divided into three decades, each having 10 days. The 24-hour day was divided into ten hours, each having 100 minutes, each minute subdivided into 100 seconds. The law was introduced on 24 November 1793 and the provision for decimal hours was suspended on 7 April 1795. Therefore there was only a period of 18 months during which these watches were produced. The republican calendar law was effective until 9 September 1805.It is quite unusual to fi nd Revolutionary watches with gold cases, since the use of precious metals went against the egalitarian philosophy of the Revolution. It is probable that most of these gold watches were made in Switzerland, and very few of them Revolutionary have survived to the present day.