34,500 CHF
“Bone Watch” Mikhail Semyonovitch Bronnikov. Made circa 1865. Fine and extremely rare watch entirely made of bone. Accompanied by the original carved bone chain, hook and key. Double-body, hinged back cover, polished, bezels with turned ribs at the edges, a small circle in the center. Chain: single and double links, carved from bone, 8 mm ring-links. Bone with Arabic numerals on circular cartouches, subsidiary seconds. Bone hands. Entirely made of bone with pinned bone bridges, excluding the main-spring, balance-spring and pivots, with going barrel, cylinder escapement with bone staff, plain bone three-arm balance, bone index regulator. Back cover signed in Cyrillic. Diam. 50 mm. Notes The famous wooden watches by the Bronnikovs are very rare and bone watches are much rarer. Far fewer examples were made and even fewer survive today. Bronnikov The Bronnikov family came from Vjatka, Russia, and specialized in the making of all-wood, and all-ivory watches. The first recorded member of the family was Ivan Bronnikov (c. 1770 - 1860), a skillful joiner and turner. His son was Semyon Ivanovitch (1800 - 1875). Semyon had seven sons, among them Mikhail Semyonovitch and Nicolai Semyonovitch, who continued his work, as did Mikhail's son Nicolai Mikhailovitch, who was the last watchmaker in the family. Nicolai Mikhailovitch left Vjatka for Moscow in 1909 or 1910 and is said to have worked there for the firm of Paul Buhre. Watches by the Bronnikovs are found in the Hermitage, the M
Auctioneer:
Antiquorum
Date:
2005-10-16
