$8,625
Dent, Maker to the Queen, 33 Cockspur St. , Charing Cross, London, No. 27214, hallmarked 1871-72.Very fine and very rare, 18K gold, keyless, double-train independent dead seconds watch with split-seconds chronograph and two time zones. white enamel (attributed to Willis), two small Roman chapters for two time zones, outer minute track, sunk centers, outer seconds track with five-minute Arabic markers, subsidiary sunk seconds. "Spade" blued steel hands. 43 mm., 3/4 plate, frosted gilt, two going barrels, 29 jewels, lateral counterpoised lever escapement, cut bimetallic compensation balance with gold and platinum screws, blued steel Breguet balance spring, diamond endstone, dead seconds mechanism via gold dart engaging theescape wheel, unusual split seconds mechanism as well as concentric setting mechanism with double clutch wheel.Dial and movement signed. Case punched by the casemaker "JTW".Diam. 49 mm. Notes English watches with independent seconds are rare. This one with its double clutch setting and the unusual split-seconds mechanism is particularly unusual. The dead seconds mechanism operates in three phases controlled by a single pushbutton:1st push to start both hands from zero position regardless of whether they are split or not2nd push to split3rd push to stop
Auctioneer:
Antiquorum
Date:
2003-05-21
