Exceptional Horological Works of Art

Geneva, Oct 19, 2002

LOT 8

Eduard JeanRichard, Le Locle, made for Paul Ditisheim, Chaux-de-Fonds, No. 3395/9231/11948, circa 1910, with British import marks for 1911-12. Very fine and very rare 18K gold hunting-cased keyless minute-repeating carillon watch with Westminster chimes.

CHF 30,000 - 35,000

EUR 20,000 - 25,000

Sold: CHF 36,800

C. Four-body, "bassine" polished, concealed hinges, gold hinged cuvette. D. White enamel, radial Roman numerals, outer minute track, subsidiary sunk seconds. Blued steel "spade" hands. M. 45 mm. (20???), gilt brass, 32 jewels, straight line calibrated lever escapement, cut bimetallic compensation balance with blued steel Breguet balance spring repeating on four gongs with four hammers through activating slide in the band. Signed on the dial, the case punched with Ditisheim?s trade mark. Diam. 54 mm.


LOADING IMAGES
Click to full view
Image
Grading System
Grade: AAA

Excellent
Case: 3

Good
Movement: 3*

Good

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

Notes

Carillon minute repeating watches are very rare, with Westminster chimes only few are known to exist. Eduard JeanRichard specialized in musical watches. He made a carillon watch for seven gongs playing the Swiss National Anthem. He found his own retail company in 1915. Before that he specialized in ebauches made for other companies. In 1920?s, in addition to regular watches, the company advertized making carillon watches, playing, among others, "God save the King". In Musée International d?Horlogere in La Chaux-de-Fonds there is an identical watch as the present one featured also in Grands Artisans de la Chronométrie by Alfred Chapuis, p. 227. Paul Ditisheim (1868-1945) started his own manufacture at Chaux-de-Fonds in 1892, specializing in very high precision watches and jeweled watches. Success in both spheres followed rapidly, and he won many honors. He collaborated with Dr. Ch. E. Guillaume in the use of both the Guillaume "integral" balance and the elinvar-type of auto-compensating balance spring. He also contributed many papers to scientific and horological journals.