The Private Collection of Theodor Beyer

Hotel Baur Au Lac, Zurich, Nov 16, 2003

LOT 81

Astronomical Watch with Westminster Chimes Attributed to Edouard JeanRichard, Le Locle, No. 36891, circa 1925. Very fine and very rare 18K gold hunting-cased keyless astronomical minute-repeating carillon watch with Westminster chimes on four gongs, perpetual calendar, phases and age of the moon, chronograph and 30-minute instantaneous register.

CHF 60,000 - 80,000

EUR 39,000 - 52,000 / USD 45,000 - 60,000

Sold: CHF 119,000

C. Four-body, "bassine et filets", engine-turned, gold hinged cuvette. D. White enamel, Breguet numerals, outer minute/seconds divisions with five-minute/seconds Arabic markers, four subsidiary sunk dials for days of the week, date, months of the four-year leap cycle concentric with minute register, and subsidiary seconds concentric with phases of the moon aperture. Blued steel Breguet hands. M. 45 mm (20'''), gilt brass, 37 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.Case punched with Swiss gold guarantee marks (Le Locle), movement punched with serial number 3687.Diam. 55 mm.


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Grading System
Grade:
Case: 3

Good
Movement: 3*

Good

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

Very good

HANDS Original

Notes

Edouard JeanRichard 1867-1944From a watchmaking family, Edouard JeanRichard was the son of Virgile and Adèle JeanRichard, and the brother of Achille JeanRichard. He was born in La Sagne on October 1867 and died in Le Locle on June 30, 1944. JeanRichard founded his watchmaking firm in 1915, having previously made ebauches for other companies. He specialized in musical carillon watches with multiple gongs and can be considered the 20th century master of the carillon watch. JeanRichard made a carillon watch with seven gongs playing the Swiss ational Anthem see Antiquorum April 13, 2003, lot 558.The company was listed in 1923, and the following year advertized chronographs, sports timers, ring watches, jewelry watches, women's wristwatches, fly-back repeaters, and ultra-thin watches. Another ad from the same period stated that the company made repeating carillon watches with multiple hammers playing the whole of "God save the King" which at the time was the same tune as the Swiss ational Anthem; very few of these were made.JeanRichard's movements are very characteristic with certain features found only in his watches, such as the shape of the spring for the surprise element, the steel insert at the barrel bridge, the shape of the star bridge, etc. In the Musée International d'Horlogerie in La Chaux-de-Fonds there is a gold hunting-cased quarter-repeating watch playing the "Ranz des vaches" on six gongs. JeanRichard's movements were used by such horological masters as Paul Ditisheim.