90,000 HKD
Minute Repeating Grande & Petite Sonnerie Clockwatch Invar (Achille Hirsch), La Chaux-de-Fonds, case No. 77739. Made circa 1905. Very fine and very rare, minute-repeating, grande and petite sonnerie striking, two-train, 18K yellow gold, hunting cased keyless clockwatch. Four-body, “bassine”, solid, polished, the front cover engraved with a foliate monogram. Hinged gold cuvette engraved with the technical details, glazed gold-rimmed cover to view the movement. Three-piece white enamel with bold Arabic numerals, outer minute, subsidiary seconds dial. Blued steel spade hands. Cal. 20’’’, frosted gilt, 31 jewels, two-train with tandem winding, straight-line lever escapement, cut bimetallic compensation balance, blued steel Breguet balance spring, index regulator, striking and repeating on gongs, the repeating activated by a push-button in the band, grande sonnerie/petite sonnerie/silence lever on the edge of the bezel. Dial and movement signed, case numbered. Diam. 55 mm. Notes Invar Was one of the trade names used by the firm of Achille Hirsch of La-Chaux-de-Fonds. Invar was the name reserved for the best quality watches made by Hirsch. Grande Sonnerie Striking: in which both the hours and the quarters are struck at each quarter. Petite Sonnerie Striking: in which "ting-tang" quarters are struck at the quarter hours, but in which the hour is only struck at the hour.
Auctioneer:
Antiquorum
Date:
2009-06-27
