86,000 CHF
Non-Magnetic Watch Co, Geneva, movement by the Association Ouvrière, probably made for the Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893, bought by Dobson & Son, 200 Piccadilly, London, W. Extremely rare, very fine 18K gold hunting cased keyless one minute tourbillon regulator with chronometer escapement. Four-body, "bassine et filets", polished, gold hinged cuvette. Off-white by Willis, radial Roman numerals, outer minute track, subsidiary sunk seconds. Blued steel "spade" hands. 45 mm. (20’’’), nickel, Technicum, locle caliber, one-minute equidistant carriage with Grether III cage, Earnshaw type spring detent escapement, gold escape wheel, cut bimetallic compensa-tion balance with gold temperature screws, palladium balance spring with Phillips’ outer terminal curve and overbanking prevention device, wolf-teeth winding wheels. Signed on the movement Non Magnetic Watch Co, dial signed by the English retailer, and by Willis on the reverse, movement under the dial punched "Ass. ouvrière". Diam. 60 mm. Notes Association Ouvrière. A cooperative enterprise founded in 1858. The founder was Frederick William Dubois, a master watchmaker who built the Château des Monts in Le Locle (now housing the Musée d’Horlogerie), and who was the teacher of Ulysse Nardin. It appears that he headed the Association until his death, when the head became William Rozat. Dubois was an excellent watchmaker and clockmaker, one of his precision astronomical regulators was chosen for the Le Locle obse
Auctioneer:
Antiquorum
Date:
2002-10-19
