Important Watches, Collector's Wristw...

The Ritz-carlton Hotel, Jun 06, 2004

LOT 358

Attributed to Albert Pellaton-Favre, No. 44075, made for Henchoz Frère and regulated by A. Hillgrén, presented to the Neuchatel Observatory Timing Contest of 1895, made for the English market, hallmarked with Chester marks for 1900-01. Extremely fine and heavy, 18K gold, hunting-cased, keyless pocket chronometer with one minute toubillon regulator, accompanied by the ?Bulletin de Marche? from the Neuchatel Observatory.

HKD 450,000 - 650,000

EUR 50,000 - 67,000 / USD 60,000 - 80,000

Sold: HKD 988,000

C. Five body, massive, ?bassine? polished, gold hinged cuvette. D. Off-white enamel with radial Arabic numerals, outer minute track and sunk subsidiary seconds. Blued steel ?Spade? hands. M. 45.8 mm (20???), so-called Pellaton caliber, frosted and pale gilt, 14 jewels, Earnshaw type spring detent escapement, cut bimetallic compensation balance, blued steel balance spring with Phillips terminal curve and amplitude control device, one minute tourbillon with three equidistant arm polished steel cage.Diam. 56 mm.


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Grading System
Grade:
Case: 2

Very good
Movement: 3

Good
Dial: 2 - 01

Notes

The shape of the cage and the date the watch was made strongly suggest that the tourbillon was supplied by Albert Pellaton. Albert Pellaton-Favre (1832-1914) A native of Le Locle, he was a fine constructor of tourbillons. Born Frederic Albert Pellaton, he used the name of Albert Pellaton-Favre, adjoining his wife's name to his own, as was the custom. Pellaton-Favre is known as one of the principal constructors of tourbillon chronometer watches of the 19th century, having made over 80 of them. In 1905 he was awarded the first prize in the First Class for pocket watches at the Neuchâtel Observatory. He is said to have executed the tourbillon work and escapements for the Paul Ditisheim chronometer which took first place in the Kew Observatory contests of 1903, as well as some for Nardin, and one for Golay Fils and Stahl, a chronometer with tourbillon, which won second prize at the 1907 Chronometric contest. The clockmaking dynasty founded by Albert Pellaton-Favre lasted another generation, through his son James Casar Pellaton (c. 1880-1954). Literature : Illustrated and described in Reinhard Meis : Das Tourbillon, page 157.