The Art of Horology in Geneva

Geneva, Hotel Des Bergues, Nov 13, 1999

LOT 146

Albert H. Potter & Co., Geneva, circa 1870.Unique, 18K pink gold, hunting cased, keyless, pocket lever chronometer with twelve seconds revolving tourbillon regulator.

CHF 60,000 - 70,000

Sold: CHF 72,450

C. Custom made, four body, massive, "bassine et filets", polished. D. Custom made white enamel with Roman numerals and sunk subsidiary seconds. Blued steel Breguet hands. M. 21''', nickel plated, patented calibre, spotted decoration, 15 jewels, majority in screwed gold settings, great wheel screwed on to the barrel cap. Lever escapement of very original type, the escape wheel being stationary and the anchor moving around with the cage five times per minute, cut bimetallic balance, free sprung Brguet balance spring.Diam. 56 mm.


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Grading System
Grade:
Case: 30

Alterations
Movement: * 3
Dial: 30 - 04

Notes

This watch was fully described and illustrated by Reinhard Meis as one of the most interesting watches with tourbillon ever made, in Le Tourbillon, French Edition, Paris, 1990, Editions de l'Amateur, pp. 192 to 195, fig. 226 to 234. It was then in an open face case and with another dial with subsidiary seconds on chapter III. It is also mentioned by Chamberlain in It's About Time, 1941, p. 449, where Major Chamberlain indicates: "I have a tourbillon lever escapement which was made by him but nevr put on the market; it has the escape wheel stationary and the anchor moving around with the cage five times per minute.." Apparently, Potter made only three watches with tourbillon in his life, an earlier one, No. 24, made circa 1857, now in The Time Museum Collection, Rockford, Ill., and the third one, much later, circa 1890, described and illustrated by Daniels and Clutton in Watches, Fig. 324 a-b.