414,000 HKD
Hausmann & Co, Roma, Napoli, movement made by Cézar Racine from Le Locle, sold to Prince Urbano Sacchetti circa 1900. Very fine and important 18K gold hunting-cased, keyless, double train, Grande Sonnerie carillon clock watch with perpetual calendar, moon phases and minute repeating in original burr walnutfitted box. Four body, massive, "bassine et filets", polished, gold hinged cuvette over glazed gold bezel for viewing the movement. White enamel with radial Roman numerals, outer Arabic minute ring, subsidiary dials for the days of the week, the months of the leap-year cycle, the date and the seconds with inner moon phase aperture. Blued steel "spade" hands. Notes Clock watches with carillons are very rare. On February 6, 1899, Cézar Racine filed for a patent improving Grande Sonnerie watches. It was quite successful and number of companies took advantage of it. Zenith, in particular, was known to employ Racine's movement and apparently also Hausmann. From the Hausmann archives we know that the watch was sold to Prince Urbano Sacchetti. The Sacchetti family goes back many centuries. In the early 14th century, the Sacchetti family was considered one of themost powerful of Florence, as confirmed by Dante's verses in the Paradiso, Canto XVI, v. 103-5"grande era già la colonna del Vaio, Sacchetti, Giuochi, Fifanti e Barucci, e Galli, e quei che arrossan per lo staio."Prince Urbano Sacchetti was related to an old noble family of Tuscan extraction, the Barberinis, who
Auctioneer:
Antiquorum
Date:
2002-06-08
