88,500 HKD
“Trip Five-Minute Repeating” H. R. Ekegrén, Geneva, No. 78441, made for J. E. Caldwell & Co. Philadelphia, circa 1910. Very fine and very rare, 18K gold, keyless, two-train trip five minuterepeating pocket watch. Four body, "bassine", polished. Gold hinged cuvette with engine-turned border. White enamel with Breguet numerals, outer minute track and subsidiary seconds. Gold Breguet hands. Notes Double-train trip repeaters became popular around 1900, especially in America. Not many were made due to their complication, and consequently their cost. Patek Philippe made a few for Tiffany, Ekegrén produced a few for Caldwell. Most were minute repeaters and a very few, as in the present watch, were five minute repeaters. Henri-Robert Ekegrén 1823-1896. Was the son of Daniel Ekegrén, of Swedish origin. Henri-Robert became skillful in watchmaking and engraving at an early age. After his apprenticeship he obtained a fellowship to travel to other watchmaking countries. At one point he worked for his fellow countryman, Jules Jürgensen, at Le Locle. In London, he worked for a well-known firm. In Paris, he worked for the celebrated Winnerl and became friendly with Adolph Lange. In 1847 he arrived in Geneva, where he worked with Henri Golay, an expert watch finisher, then with Golay-Leresche. In 1857 he formed a partnership with Ferdinand Westermann. Mr. Ekegrén took as his assistant the young Louis Chevalier, who was to remain with him for thirty-seven years. At the 1867 Exhibition
Auctioneer:
Antiquorum
Date:
2006-04-23
