6,900 CHF
Patek Philippe & Cie. a Geneve, No. 10735, produced in 1855, sold on 24 August 1857. Fine and very rare, silver watch with an early and unusual form of single train, dead independent centre seconds. Four body, massive, "forme quatre baguettes" with reeded band and engine-turned back. Hinged silver cuvette with engine-turned border. White enamel with Roman numerals. Blued steel Breguet hands. Notes The independent dead centre seconds mechanism of this watch is developed from the one used both by Winner] and Perrelet in France. However, on the early forms, the mechanism was stopped after about 30 seconds only. In this watch, the subsidiary spring is mounted in such a way, that it is released automatically when fully wound. Therefore, the mechanism is able to run as long as the going train is rnning. The problem found in the construction of this watch inspired Adrien Philippe to invent the "slipping" spring, Patent No. 58941 issued in 1863. This invention enables two or more mainspring barrels to be wound simultaneously. This technique of the "slipping" spring, enables the development of the modern self-winding watches. The end of the mainspring, sliding inside the barrel when fully wound from one grove to the next, is therefore always maintained in tension. This watch is undoubtedly one of the first of this type, ever produced by Patel
Auctioneer:
Antiquorum
Date:
1996-10-12
