32,200 CHF
Paul Ditisheim, La-Chaux-de-Fonds, No. 36176, circa 1912. Very important silver cased keyless pocket chronometer, awarded the First Prize and the highest marks ever achieved at both the Observatories of Neuchâtel, Switzerland and the National Physical Laboratory, England, in 1913. Four body, massive "bassine et filet",polished with reeded band. Silver cuvette with engraved awards. Silvered with Roman numerals, subsidiary seconds and up-and-down scale for 24 hours. Blued-steel "pear" hands. Notes The full inscription, engraved on the cuvette is as follows: "Ce Chronomètre No. 36176 détient le record des chronomètres de poche de 1ère. classe, observés jusqu'à ce jour aux concours de l'Observatoire Astronomique de Neuchâtel, ce même chronomètre, étudié en 1913 au National Physical Laboratory. Détient aussi le record de l' Observatoire de Teddington." This watch was exhibited at the Swiss National Exhibition in La Chaux-de-Fonds in 1914 and is described in the catalogue published by Paul Ditisheim (p. 15, C1.30) under the section headed ' World Records for precision chronometry attained by Paul Ditisheim'. Along with a similar chronometer No. 36175, it is also the most expensive watch listel, priced at 9000 Francs. By comparison a record-breaking detent tourbillon was priced at 4800 Francs and a gold astronomical chronometer watch at 5200 Francs ( sold by this house on 14 October 1990, lot 481). In fact, the catalogue has a printing inversion, as under the number
Auctioneer:
Antiquorum
Date:
1991-10-20
