$13,225
A. Lange & Söhne, Glashütte i. SA, “1815 Sidestep”, No. 67/75, Ref. 222.049. Made in a limited edition of 75 examples in 2003 to commemorate the 125th anniversary of Wempe. Very fine and very rare, water-resistant, 18K pink gold gentleman’s wristwatch with a special decorated movement and an 18K pink gold A. Lange & Söhne buckle. Three-body, solid, polished, transparent case back with 6 screws, sapphire crystals. Black with painted white Arabic numerals, subsidiary seconds dial at 4. Pink gold “alpha” hands. Cal. L 944.1, maillechort, hand-engraved, 21 jewels, several in screw-mounted gold châtons, straight line lever escapement, monometallic balance, shock-absorber, self-compensating flat balance spring, “swan-neck” micrometer regulator. Dial, case and movement signed, case back also signed “Wempe – 125 Jahre – 1878-2003”. Diam. 36 mm. Thickness 13 mm. Notes Wempe In 1878, Gerhard D. Wempe opened a watch and jewelry business in Elsfelth, near Bremen. The company's flagship store was established in Hamburg in 1907. Gerhard Wempe’s son Herbert took over the business in 1921, concentrating on exclusive Swiss watch brands such as Omega and Longines. In 1945 the company was handed over to a trustee, and by 1953 Wempe had 5 stores in Hamburg and by the 1960s there were stores in other German cities. In 1980, Wempe opened a store on New York's Fifth Avenue, as well as in Paris, Vienna, London and Madrid. Since 2003 Kim- Eva Wempe has officially headed the firm.
Auctioneer:
Antiquorum
Date:
2005-09-28
