Collector's Pocket Watches, Wristwatc...

Noga Hilton, Geneva, Apr 12, 2003

LOT 504

J.W. Benson, By Special warrants to H.M. The Queen & H.R.H. The Prince of Wales, 28 Royal Exchange, No. 2510, hallmarked 1884 -85.Very fine 18K gold, keyless, double train, Grande et Petite Sonnerie Clockwatch with minute-repeating with tripe overcoiled freesprung balance spring.

CHF 30,000 - 40,000

EUR 21,000 - 28,000 / USD 22,000 - 30,000

C. Four-body, "Demi-bassine", polished, gold hinged cuvette. D. White enamel by "Jo Patter", radial Roman numerals, outer minute ring, subsidiary sunk seconds. Blued steel "spade" hands. M. 45 mm (20'''), 3/4-plate, 27 jewels, lateral calibrated lever escapement with the lift on the pallets, cut-bimetallic compensation balance with gold temperature screws and gold meantime nuts, blued steel free-sprung triple-overcoiled Breguet balance spring, striking and repeating on gongs, repeating trip-slie on the band, grande or petite striking switch lever at 6 o'clock under the bezel, striking/silent lever at 12 o'clock. Signed on dial and movement, dialmaker signed on the reverse. Diam. 56 mm.


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Grading System
Grade: AAA

Excellent
Case: 3
Movement: 3*
Dial: 2 - 01

Notes

This watch comes from a series of complicated pieces destined by Benson for the Kew Observatory Contests, which accounts for the unusually high standards on finishing the escapement and employing a freesprung triple-overcoiled balance spring. A "sister" watch, No. 2541, performed quite well at the 1905 contest. The striking mechanism is Swiss, the finish British.