Important Collector's Wristwatches, P...

New York, Dec 01, 2004

LOT 70

Girard-Perregaux,"Sea Hawk ll", "To John Harrison", 300 m / 1000 ft., Ref. 4991. Produced in the 2000s. Fine, large, self-winding, water-resistant, 18K pink gold gentleman's wristwatch with 45-hour power reserve, date and an 18K pink gold Girard-Perregaux deployant clasp. Accompanied by a fitted box and certificate.

USD 7,000 - 9,000

EUR 5,500 - 7,000

C. Three-body, solid, polished and brushed, case back with six screws, screwed-down winding-crown at 4 with "Crown Guard", unidirectional rotating bezel to measure elapsed time, sapphire crystal. D. White with pink gold Arabic numerals and indexes, subsidiary seconds dial between 10 and 11, up-and-down indication at 6, aperture for the date between 1 and 2. Luminous pink gold "épée" hands. M. Cal. GP 33 RO, rhodium-plated, 27 jewels, straight line lever escapement, monometallic balance, shock-absorber, self-compensating flat balance spring, hack mechanism.Dial, case and movement signed.Diam. 42 mm.


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Grading System
Grade: AA

Very good

Case: 1

As new

Movement: 1

As new

Dial: 1 - 01

Notes

John Harrison (1693-1776) This special version of the new Sea Hawk is dedicated to British carpenter and self-taught watchmaker John Harrison. He struggled for most of his life to build a precise timekeeper that could be used to determine the exact longitude and position of a ship during sea travel. Harrison built three clocks and his famous ?H 4?, a precision watch that won him the prize of 20,000 pounds offered by the British Parliament. But the parliament refused to pay him, mainly because a simple carpenter was not considered to be eligible enough to win the prize. It took an intervention of the King himself after a meeting with Harrison to pay out the prize.