The Longitude at the Eve of the Third...

Geneva, Hotel Des Bergues, Oct 23, 1999

LOT 29

No. 2577, construite par Louis Berthoud, Horloger de la Marine.Montre demi-marine, répétition ordinaire, échappement de Monsieur Raymond, Emboitagede Monsieur Béliard. Finie en blanc en Pluviôse et Ventôse an XIII (Février - Mars 1805). Le 15 Germinal an XIII (15 Avril 1805) fait marcher avant la dorure pour être emportée à Paris et dorée. Fait refaire l'échappement en Juin 1808. Sold on October 28, 1809 to Monsieur de Bougainville pour Monsieur son fils.Extremely fine and unique 18K gold quarter repeating pocket chronometer, gimballed in original mahogany box.

CHF 120,000 - 150,000

Sold: CHF 119,000

C. Three body massive "à double fond" made by Joly (Master mark), typical of Louis Berthoud's pocket "montres marines", polished with fixed cuvette and concealed hinges. D. White enamel by Lucard (signed on the enamel backing) with Breguet numerals and subsidiary seconds. Blued-steel Breguet hands.M. Frosted and gilt full plate with brass cylindrical pillars secured by pins, fusee with chain, maintaining power, typical Louis Berthoud type pivoted detent escapement with three-arm compensation balance and free sprung cylindrical balance spring.Signed on the dial, dial plate and back plate.Diam. 61 mm.


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Grading System
Grade:
Case: 3

Good
Movement: * 3
Dial: 3 - 01

Notes

Among the last watches made between 1808 and 1812, some were only quarter repeaters made for civil use with duplex escapement or lever escapement without temperature compensation. Others by contrast were true timekeepers showing all the essential characteristics of pocket marine timekeepers. It is so with No. 2587, from the Gelis Collection, in Musée Paul Dupuy, Toulouse, and above all with No. 2577, delivered gimballed in a box like the majority of the most carefully made portable marine watche.Made with a lever escapement derived from that of Robin, they would later be altered, sometime even before they were sold. They were fitted with pivoted escapement, Berthoud not succeeding in adjusting them as he wished with the original escapement as he explained several times:January 15, 1808 - This watch was like the others fitted with Robin's poor escapement from which I could not get performance. I have just had it remade by M. Raymond and have put the piece to 6 beats.This watch is illustrated in: J.-C. Sabrier: La Longitude en Mer à l'Heure de Louis Berthoud et Henri Motel, Antiquorum Editions, Genève 1993, pp. 80-81, fig. 20-21 and p. 184, fig. 62.