Important Modern & Vintage Timepieces

Geneva, Mar 17, 2013

LOT 413

LOUIS AUDEMARS RUSSIAN IMPERIAL PRESENTATION WATCH WITH 7 COMPLICATIONS Louis Audemars, Brassus & Geneva, No. 14062. Made for Russian Imperial presentation, circa 1895. Extremely fine and exceptional, large, 18K gold, enamel and rose-cut diamond-set, hunting-cased, keyless pocket watch with perpetual calendar, phases and age of the moon, special patented split-seconds chronograph and antimagnetic escapement.

CHF 55,000 - 75,000

USD 60,000 - 80,000 / EUR 45,000 - 60,000

Sold: CHF 104,500

C. Four-body, bassine et filets, polished, the front cover decorated with the Russian Imperial arms in black, blue and red champlevé enamel and set with rose-cut diamonds, gold levers for calendar setting protruding from under the bezel. Hinged gold cuvette with engine-turned border. D. White enamel, radial Roman numerals, outer minute track, outermost seconds divided into fifths, five-minute/ seconds red Arabic numerals, four subsidiary sunk dials for days of the week, date, months of the four year leap cycle and subsidiary seconds concentric with phases of the moon aperture and lunar calendar. Blued steel spade hands. M. 43 mm. (19???), ?superior adjustment?, rhodium plated, fausses cotes decoration, 25 jewels, antimagnetic straight line calibrated lever escapement, cut bimetallic compensation balance with platinum temperature adjustment screws, special alloy Breguet balance spring with overcoil, rack and pinion micrometer regulator, chronograph and split activated by buttons in the band. Dial, case, cuvette and movement signed. DIAM. 58 mm


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Grading System
Grade:
Case: 2

Very good
Movement: 2*

Very good

Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense
Dial: 2-8

Very good

Slightly scratched

Notes

The present watch is one of the finest and most complicated made for presentation by the Czar. It is extremely highly finished and very complicated for a presentation watch and must therefore have been intended for a very important recipient. The watch has a balance and spring which were made to be antimagnetic, gold setting levers, and a patented split-seconds chronograph mechanism. It is also, unusually, fully signed by Louis Audemars. The special split-seconds chronograph system was patented by Charles H. Audemars (US patent 253338 of February 7, 1882, filed on June 23, 1891). The system, which is difficult to produce, is very reliable and features a special clutch coupling wheel, assuring faster and more reliable starting