Important Modern and Vintage Timepieces.

Geneva, Nov 13, 2010

LOT 357

Patek Philippe, Highly Unusual Stem Winding systeM, Courvoisier Patent Patek Philippe & Co., Geneve, No. 52187. Made in 1876, sold on May 5th, 1881. Very fine and extremely rare, 18K pink gold pocket watch with highly unusual patent stem winding and hand-setting system invented by O. Courvoisier in 1873, both functions from the crown. Accompanied by the Extract from the Archives.

CHF 1,200 - 2,200

USD 1,200 - 2,200 / EUR 900 - 1,600

Sold: CHF 6,875

C. Four-body, bassine et filets, polished, the back cover with an engraved monogram ?"JB". Hinged gold cuvette. D. White enamel with radial Roman numerals, outer minute track, subsidiary seconds. Blued steel spade hands. M. 18''', matte gilt, 15 jewels, moustache straight line lever escapement, cut bimetallic compensation balance with adjustment screws, blued steel flat balance spring, index regulator, winding and hand-setting wheels beneath a further plate on the backplate, the stem turning anticlockwise to set the hands, clockwise to wind. Cuvette and case signed and numbered, movement punch numbered on the dial plate. Diam. 46 mm.


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Grading System
Grade: AAA

Excellent
Case: 3

Good
Movement: 1

As new
Dial: 3-01

Good

HANDS Original

Notes

(Lot 357) The very unusual stem winding system used in this watch was invented by O. Courvoisier in 1873, English patent No. 1114. As a new invention when this watch was made, the system was evidently tried "experimentally" by Patek Philippe in a very small number of watches. The system works by the shifting of a large wheel which engages with a further wheel on the center wheel arbor for hand-setting when the crown is turned anti-clockwise, when the crown is turned clockwise the wheel disengages and winds the mainspring. Another example No. 55948, sold to Prince Ghika of Albania on March 1, 1884, is illustrated in: Patek Philippe, Geneve, Huber & Banbery, 1993, p. 122.