Important Watches, Collectors’ Wristw...

Hotel Noga Hilton, Nov 14, 2004

LOT 20

Louis Audemars, Brassus, No. 11343, produced in 1870. Retailed by Le Roy & Fils, Horlogers de la Marine, Palais-Royal, 13 & 15 Galerie Montpensier, Paris, 211 Regent St, London, as No. 50561. Very fine and exceptionally rare 18K gold, hunting-cased, triple-train, astronomical perpetual calendar pocket watch with phases and age of the moon, minute-repeating, and independent dead seconds.

CHF 40,000 - 50,000

EUR 25,000 - 30,000 / USD 30,000 - 40,000

Sold: CHF 49,450

C. Five-body, ?bassine et filets?, polished, gold hinged cuvette, gold lever for start/stop dead seconds at 12 under the front cover. D. White enamel, radial Roman numerals, outer minute/dead-seconds divisions, four subsidiary sunk dials for days of the week, date, months of the four year leap cycle and phases and the age of the moon aperture. Blued steel ?spade? hands. M. 42 mm (19'''), frosted gilt, bridged and skeletonized, Mairet tandem winding, 43 jewels, gold train, straight line calibrated lever escapement, cut-bimetallic compensation balance with Breguet balance spring, repeating on gongs through activating slide in the band.Movement signed on the pillar plate, case and movement numbered, cuvette signed by the retailer.Diam. 56 mm.


LOADING IMAGES
Click to full view
Image
Grading System
Grade:
Case: 3

Good
Movement: 3*

Good

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

Notes

Louis Audemars 1782-1833 Born in La Vallée de Joux, at 16 Louis Audemars was apprenticed to Philippe Meylan and soon established his reputation for the fine workmanship of his movements. All eight of Audemar?s sons continued in the family firm, making finished movements, and around 1837 inventing the keyless winding/setting system known today as the Audemars system. In 1848 Audemars began producing complete watches. The company became recognized as one of the best, furnishing the major Swiss and French manufacturers such as Le Roy, Patek Philippe, and Vacheron Constantin, with highly complicated watches and movements.