195,500 HKD
Paul Buhré, Pétersbourg, circa 1850. Extremely fine and important 18K gold and enamel, diamond-set, hunting-cased, double-train, independent central dead-seconds quarter-repeating pocket chronometer with fusee, spherical balance spring, pivoted detent escapement and triple calendar. White enamel, Roman numerals, outer minute/dead-seconds divisions, four subsidiary sunk dials for days of the week, date, months and seconds. Blued steel "fleur-de-lis" hands. Notes Paul BuhréIn 1815, Paul Leopold Buhré opened a small shop in St. Petersburg, where a good-sized colony of Swiss watchmakers was established, attracted by Catherine II's efforts to start a watch and clock factory there. Thus, along with the firms of Courvoisier & Cie. and Tissot, Paul Buhré intro-duced good horology to Eastern Europe. In order to ensure their supply, the Buhrés founded a facto-ry in Le Locle later in 1815. Paul Buhré's son, also named Paul, took over the Russian business and traveled to Swtzerland to select watches, eventually taking over the factory in Le Locle. The firm obtained the title of official purveyor to the Imperial Court, and expanded rapidly.From 1880 on, it was managed by Paul Girard-Gabus (1835-1902), whose brother-in-law George Pfund also worked with the firm. That same year, the company name was changed to PAUL GIRARD-GABUS, and the firm still did consi-derable trade with Russia. Buhré watches were used on the Russian railways and were given by the Russian government as awards.
Auctioneer:
Antiquorum
Date:
2002-06-08
