Exceptional Horological Sale Celebrat...

Hotel Noga Hilton, Geneva, Apr 24, 2004

LOT 83

A. Lange & Söhne, Glasshütte b/Dresden, No. 45275, circa 1900. Very fine and very rare, large, 18K pink gold hunting-cased keyless pocket chronometer, with 52 1/2 minute Karrusel regulator in original leather fitted box.

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Sold: CHF 234,500

C. Five-body, "Lucia", polished, gold hinged cuvette.D. White enamel, Arabic numerals, outer minute divisions with five-minute red Arabic markers, subsidiary sunk seconds. Gold "Louis XV" hands.M. 45 mm (20???), frosted gilt 3/4-plate, 16 jewels, Lange?s Karrusel regulator with Lange lateral counterpoised lever escapement, gold escape wheel and lever, roller jewel directly in the arm, cut-bimetallic compensation balance with gold screws, blued steel Breguet balance spring, diamond endstone, lever-set.Signed on dial, case and movement. Diam. 60 mm.


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Grading System
Grade:
Case: 2

Very good
Movement: 2

Very good
Dial: 2 - 01

Notes

On June 11, 1899 Lange patented a new design for a Karrusel (German patent 121267). This proved to be very a well designed mechanism but it was expensive to make and consequently expensive, averaging between 800 and 900 DM for one in a gold case. Less than 100 were produced. The difference between the Bonniksen and the Lange Karrusel lies in the plate design and the fact that the escapement is a Glasshütte divided lift and a steel bushing for the Karrusel journal, which creates less friction and allows for better lubrication. The difference between the Tourbillon and the Karrusel. The Tourbillon and Karrusel are in the same category of revolving escapements. Both have the escapement placed on a revolving carriage to average out the poise error. The basic conceptual difference between the two is the fact that while in the Tourbillon the train is the same as in a regular watch except that the fourth wheel is stationary, in a Kar-rusel there is an additional wheel mounted to the carriage on the other side of the plate, and rotating around the 3rd wheel pinion. Consequently, if we remove this additional wheel, the watch will still run.