Important Watches, Wristwatches and C...

Geneva, Hotel Des Bergues, Apr 24, 1999

LOT 408

Henri Motel, Horloger de la Marine, No. 262, sold to Depot de la Marine on June 1, 1849, for 2400 Francs. The compensation balance with auxiliary compensation and blued steel helical balance spring with terminal curves by H. Charbonnier, from the Ecole Imperiale d'Horlogerie de Cluses, completed on June 10, 1868.

CHF 25,000 - 30,000

C. Three body mahogany box with external handles, the glazed upper section with hinged lid. Brass bowl and gimballed suspension, locking bolt on the edge. D. Silvered with Roman numerals and subsidiary seconds. Blued steel Breguet hands. M. Brass, spotted finished, Motel calibre the fusee with maintaining power and the barrel secured by a single bridge, mainspring by Bourquin dated 1846, the escapement mounted on a separated plate, Louis Berthoud type pivoted escapement, two-arm compensation balance with Molineux auxiliary compensation, two cylindrical poising weights and timing screws, blued steel helical balance spring with terminal curves. Signed on the dial and movement. Dial diam. 82 mm. Dim. 17 x 16 x 15 cm.


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Grading System
Grade: AAA

Excellent
Case: 4

Fair
Movement: *4

Fair

Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense
Dial: 4-5-01

Fair

Poor

HANDS Original

Notes

Excluding the balance and the balance spring, this chronometer is absolutely identical to those of Henri Motel's late production. Its mainspring carries the signature of Bourquin and the date 1846 like those of chronometers No. 261 and 263, which were respectively sold by Motel to the Depot de la Marine on February 12, 1850 and December 31, 1850. It is therefore indeed the chronometer No. 262, sold to the Depot de la Marine on June 1, 1849, on which the signature of Motel was clearly removed from the dial (hammered on the reverse) and replaced on the movement by that of H. Charbonnier, pupil of the Ecole Imperial d'Horlogerie de Cluses. Please refer to" C. Sabrier: La Longitude en Mer a l'Heure de Louis Berthoud et Henri Motel, Antiquorum Editions, Geneve 1993, pp. 646, 650 and 660. See also Motel chronometer No. 267, p. 612, fig.156.