Important Modern & Vintage Timepieces

Geneva, Nov 11, 2012

LOT 395

VIANNEY HALTER, REF. 98.5Y.107, TIME MACHINE PERPETUAL ANTIQUA Vianney Halter, "Time Machine Perpetual Antiqua", Ref. 98.5Y.107. Made circa 2003. Very fine, rare and highly unusual, self-winding, 18K yellow gold wristwatch with sub-divided instantaneous perpetual calendar and an 18K yellow gold Vianney Halter buckle. Accompanied by a Vianney Halter winding box and push-pin. To be sold without reserve

CHF 20,000 - 30,000

USD 21,000 - 32,000 / EUR 16,000 - 25,000

Sold: CHF 40,000

C. Comprised of over 130 parts, solid, polished and brushed, rounded central lugs, 4 different-sized and white gold rivetdecorated portholes to view the different indications, rivet decorated winding-crown, transparent back, anti-refl ective sapphire crystals. D. 4 individual, two-tone, brushed and matte silver dials with engraved and enameled radial Arabic numerals for the hours, the days of the week, the months, the leap years and the date. Blued steel hands. M. Cal. VH 198, No. 5Y, rhodium-plated, fausses côtes decoration, 43 jewels, straight-line lever escapement, monometallic balance adjusted to 5 positions, shock-absorber, self-compensating fl at balance-spring, patented sapphire crystal ?mystery? rotor with 18K white gold segment. Dial and movement signed. Width 40 mm. Thickness 11 mm.


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Grading System
Grade: AAA

Excellent

Case: 2

Very good

Movement: 1*

As new

Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense

Dial: 1-01

As new

HANDS Original

Notes

French watchmaker Vianney Halter has been fascinated by watches and clocks from childhood. He attended watchmaking school in Paris at age 13 and at 17 he began specializing in horological restoration work. After moving to Switzerland, he established his own company ?Janvier SA? in 1994, named after famous French clockmaker Antide Janvier. Today Halter, a member of the AHCI (Académie horlogère des créateurs indépendants? or ?Academy of Independent Watch Creators?), lives in the town of Ste.-Croix in Switzerland, where his fi rm produces a small and exclusive line of watches like the ?Antiqua? (introduced in 1999), the ?Contemporaine?, the ?Trio? and the ?Classic?. These unusually designed wristwatches or perhaps more accurately, ?timesculptures?, defy all conventions, yet Halter?s vision of presenting time follows the highest standards of traditional watchmaking. In 2003 Vianney Halter collaborated with the well-known New York jewelry house Harry Winston, joining forces to build the inimitable ?Opus 3? wristwatch with its 6 portholes and 10 independently rotating discs that display time