OMEGAMANIA

Geneva, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Du Rhône, Apr 15, 2007

LOT 109

?GOLD OBSERVATORY TOURBILLON?

Omega, Usine de Genève "Tourbillon", No. 10595938, Cal. 30 I. The 6th of 12 movements made in 1947 then entered in the 1950 Geneva Observatory trials where it scored 812 points and was the tenth highest-scoring watch of the 38 in the class. One of seven movements cased and sold in 1987. Extremely rare and very important, 18K yellow gold gentleman's wrist chronometer with a 7 1/2 minute Tourbillon regulator. This watch is sold with a box, Certificate of Authenticity and 2-year Omega guarantee.

CHF 120,000 - 180,000

EUR 75,000 - 115,000 / USD 100,000 - 150,000

Sold: CHF 256,000

C. Three-body, solid, polished, transparent back, lapidated bezel, concave lugs on the band at 4 o'clock a push-button for hand-setting. D. Matte silver with applied gold Dauphine and baton hours, outer minute divisions and subsidiary seconds dial. Gold ?baton? hands. M. Cal. 30.I.1947, 2/3 plate, maillechort, 25 jewels, 7.5 minute "tourbillon" regulator, two-part rhodium plated brass cage held by three case-screws, Guillaume balance, Breguet overcoil, 18'000 vibration/hour, index regulator on one of the cage's arms. Dial and movement signed. Diam. 36 mm. Thickness 11.5mm. Property of a European Collector


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Grading System
Grade:
Case: 2

Very good
Movement: 2

Very good
Dial: 2-01

Very good

HANDS Original

Notes

What is a Tourbillon ? A Tourbillon is a regulating mechanism in which the escapement of a movement is housed within a revolving carriage. It was developed in an effort to attain better precision. When a watch is in a vertical position, the force of gravity will speed the balance wheel as it moves in its downward (arc) direction and slowit as it moves upward, creating deviational errors of timekeeping. By placing the balance and escapement in a carriage that revolves 360° per minute, these errors become averaged and the timekeeping becomes constant and consequently adjustable. Created by Abraham Louis Breguet in 1795, the tourbillon is considered a difficult and complex achievement by any watch manufacturer.