11,500 CHF
Du Bois et Fils, Swiss, circa 1800. Fine and rare 18 ct. gold dead centre seconds watch with special escapement, pirouette and pendulum. Double body, "forme quatre baguettes" with reeded band and polished back. Eccentric white enamel with Breguet numerals and small circular aperture for the pendulum, outer centre seconds ring. Blued steel Breguet hands. Hinged gilt brass with cylindrical pillars, fusee with chain, rare double wheel frictional rest escapement of Debaufre type, pirouette with mock pendulum, plain brass three-arm balance with flat balance spring, polished steel balance bridge with garnet end-stone. Signed on the dial and back plate. In very good condition. Diam. 58 mm. Notes Very good example of an unusual arrangement for dead centre seconds watch. Unusual form of Debaufre frictional rest escapement the double escape wheel with wide teeth. Similar watch described and illustrated in Camerer Cuss, Antique Watches, pl. 125 and in Daniels and Clutton Watches, pl. 195.
Auctioneer:
Antiquorum
Date:
1996-04-20
