37,760 HKD
“Early Keyless Cover Winding, Patented 1866” Chs. Rubens & Co., Chaux-de-Fonds, No. 8642, the case by Emile Perret, Locle, No. 21538/8642. Made circa 1866. Very fine and very rare, 18K gold, hunting-cased pocket watch with “remontoire perpétuel à décrochement” keyless cover winding patented by Charles Rubens & Co., on February 6th 1866. Four-body, “bassine et filets”, engine turned, reeded band. Gold hinged cuvette. White enamel, radial Roman numerals, outer minute track, subsidiary seconds. Blued steel “Breguet” hands. Notes The patent for this type of self-winding watch was originally taken out by T. Robert Theurer in the U.S. and was assigned to Charles Rubens & Cie after this date. This patent for keyless cover winding pre-dates Benjamin Haas’s patent of 1873.
Auctioneer:
Antiquorum
Date:
2006-04-23
