Jaeger-LeCoultre

Observatory Tested Independent Center- Seconds & Minute-Repeating LeCoultre, No. 19754, finished by Louis Laclef, Fabricant a Besancon. Made circa 1880, sold by Ed. Loel, 59, Rue des Francs- Bourgeois, to M. Foucher on May 1, 1899 for 1000 Francs. Very fine and very rare, heavy, minute-repeating, 18K yellow gold, two-train, keyless pocket watch with independent center-seconds and double gold wheel train, regulated by Jules Golay and tested by the Besancon Observatory in 1881 recording a variation of 3 seconds in 24 hours. Accompanied by the original hand-written Besancon Observatory certificate dated August 8, 1881 and signed by Jules Golay, original Loeb receipt and repair bill dated 1906. Four body, massive, "demi-bassine", polished, button at 11 for the hand-setting, the start/stop for the center seconds in the crown. Hinged gold cuvette engraved with the technical details and with engine-turned border. White enamel with royal blue radial Roman numerals, outer red minute track and blue Arabic five-minute numerals. Gold Louis XVI hands. Notes This watch is exceptional in that it was submitted for Observatory testing, this is highly unusual for a watch that has both repeating and two trains because any added complications in a watch are likely to affect the timekeeping properties of the watch adversely. This watch was obviously very highly regarded and its potential as a timekeeper noticed by the maker. It was regulated by the great Jules Golay himself and he recorde Read more…