Important Watches, Wristwatches and C...

Geneva, Hotel Des Bergues, Apr 12, 1997

LOT 220

Anquetin a Paris No. 2840, patented on 20 November 1856; Brevete S.G.D.G. circa 1860. Rare and fine, very unusual early silver hunting cased, inter-city watch, giving the difference of minutes between western European cities. C. Four body, massive, "forme quatre

CHF 3,500 - 4,000

Sold: CHF 4,140

C. Four body, massive, "forme quatre baguettes", engine-turned. Hinged silver cuvette engraved with the time difference between Paris and 28 European cities. D. White enamel with Roman numerals and the name of 24 towns from France, Switzerland, England, Spain, Italy and Germany. Inner yellow revolving inter-city time ring and disc. Blued steel spade hands. M. 18"' gilt brass, bar calibre with going barrel, 12 jewels, cylinder escapement, plain brass three-arm balance, blued steel flat balance spring. The revolving inter-city disc is adjusted by means of the knurled crown on the pendant. Signed on the movement. In very good condition with the original watch-paper giving the time in different cities when it is noon in Paris. Diam. 50 mm.


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Notes

This watch is using the patent taken by Modeste Anquetin on 20 November 1856, with additions on 31 August 1857, 5 February 1858, 16 June 1859 and 2 April 1863. A good example of such a montre de voyageur aver l indication de 1 'h.eure " aniverselle ", made by Modeste Anquetin, is described and illust r ated in A. Chapiro in: La Dionne IFranfaise, les Editions de I ' Amateur, p 425. With the development of the railway, it became essential to be able to work out the precise time throughout the network, hi order to publish the correct train timetable, determine the time for connections and avoid collisions. In 1816, it had already been decided to adopt the mean time for Paris, to replace the real time, until then calculated from the position of the Sun on the Paris meridian. It was not, however, until March 1890 that a government bill was discussed by the Chamber of Deputies and that, finally, on 14 1VIarch 1891 the bill was passed, establishing Paris time on the whole national territory.