Important Collector's Wristwatches, P...

Geneva, Dec 02, 2003

LOT 208

Henry Grandjean & Cie, Locle, No. 38910, circa 1900.Extremely fine, unusual and important 18K gold hunting cased keyless one minute tourbillon regulator with straight-line leverescapement, Guillaume balance, winner of the First Prize in 1906 Timing Contest at the Neuchâtel Observatory, adjusted bymaster adjuster Charles-Ferdinand Perret. Accompanied by a mahogany fitted box and a copy of the ?Bulletin de Marche?.

USD 80,000 - 100,000

EUR 70,000 - 86,000

Sold: USD 107,000

C. Six-body, "bassine et filets", polished, five-bar hinges, gold hinged cuvette over glazed gold bezel for viewing the movement. D. Whiteenamel, Roman numerals, outer minute track, subsidiary sunk seconds. Blued steel "spade" hands. M. 45 mm (20???), maillechort,"Pellaton? caliber, "fausses côtes" decoration, 20 jewels, 3-arm equidistant carriage with straight line equidistant lever escapement,anibal-brass Guillaume compensation balance with gold temperature and platinum mean time screws, special alloy balance spring,regulator with spring-loaded pin?s gap closing.Signed on case and movement.Diam. 58 mm.


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Grading System
Grade:
Case: 3

Good
Movement: 3*

Good

Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense
Dial: 3 - 01

Notes

Tourbillons with straight-line lever escapements are exceptionally rare. The vast majority of tourbillons with lever escapements employ a lateral lever. Grandjean preferred the detent escapement, however his successor Perret favored the lever escapement and invented and patented (Swiss patent No. 154237) an interesting bridge for the pallet fork. Apparently, he was very proficient with this escape-ment, a fact attested to by the sitting of a straight-line lever escapement in the carriage of this watch. This achievement won him the First Prize at the 1906 Neuchâtel Observatory Timing Contest.