Important Collectors’ Wristwatches, P...

New York, Dec 07, 2005

LOT 183

?Deck Chronometer? Vacheron & Constantin, Genève, ?Chronomètre?, No. 455028, case No. 286399. Made for the British Hydrographic Service in 1944. Fine, large, silver, keyless center-seconds deck and pocket lever chronometer with Guillaume balance.

USD 3,000 - 4,000

EUR 2,500 - 3,300

Sold: USD 4,140

C. Four-body, "bassine", polished, silver, hinged cuvette. D. Silver, brushed, Arabic numerals, outer minute divisions. Blued steel "spade" hands. M. Cal. 166, gilt brass, "fausses côtes" decoration, 21 jewels, straight line calibrated lever escapement, anibal-brass Guillaume balance with gold timing screws, blued steel Breguet balance spring, swan-neck micrometric regulator. Dial, case and movement signed, case back engraved ?H.S.- 2, 55028?. Diam. 60 mm.


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Grading System
Grade: AA

Very good

Case: 3

Good

Movement: 3-7*

Good

Oxidized

Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense

Dial: 2-01

Very good

HANDS Original

Notes

Anibal An alloy invented by the Nobel prize winner Dr. Charles Edouard Guillaume, it exhibits unusual properties, both in terms of thermal expansion and in changes in elasticity. These properties are very different from those of two other famous alloys invented by Guillaume, Invar and Elinvar. Around 1900 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 change of rate 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 alloy, 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.