Important collector's watches, wristw...

Hotel Richemond, Geneva, Apr 13, 2002

LOT 5

Ulysse Nardin, Locle & Geneva, No. 19685, circa 1928. Very fine and rare silver center-seconds, keyless, dead half-seconds deck chronometer in ebony fitted box.

CHF 8,000 - 9,500

EUR 9,000 - 11,000 / USD 8,000 - 9,500

Sold: CHF 10,580

C. Three-body, ?bassine et filets?, polished, glazed back. D. White enamel, bold radial Roman numerals, outer minute/seconds ring. Blued steel ?spade? hands. M. 45 mm (20???), frosted gilt half plate, Earnshaw-type spring detent chronometer escapement, steel escape wheel, Guillaume anibal-brass balance with special balance spring with outer terminal curve, 15 jewels, escapement capped, cock with diamond endstone. Signed on dial and movement. Diam. 64 mm.


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Grading System
Grade: AAA

Excellent

Case: 3

Good

Movement: 3*

Good

Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense

Dial: 2-01

Very good

HANDS Original

Notes

Deck chronometers with center-seconds are rare. Guillaume balance Anibal (acier au nickel pour balanciers), an alloy invented by Dr. Charles Edouard Guillaume, exhibits unusual properties, both in terms of thermal expansion and of changes in elasticity. These properties are very different from those of two other famous alloys invented by Guillaume, Invar and Elinvar. At the end of the 1800?s, Guillaume attempted to eliminate the so-called Middle Temperature Error caused by the fact that the change of rate in a timekeeper with a steel-brass bimetallic balance is approximately a linear function of temperature, while the modification caused by change in elasticity of a balance spring is approximately a quadratic function. Thus, it equals zero at only two temperatures, causing secondary error. Countless attempts were made to eliminate Middle Temperature Error, usually by means of auxiliary compensation devices. In 1899, Guillaume noticed that steel with an addition of 44.4% nickel had a negative square coefficient of thermal expansion. This, combined with brass in bimetallic lamina, makes its expansion close to quadratic. Balances with bimetallic rims made of anibal and brass are usually called Guillaume balances, or, as their inventor called them, integral balances. When combined with special balance springs, they exhibit remarkable temperature stability, on occasion not exceeding 1/50 second per day at 1oC.