48,000 CHF
Rock Crystal Watch with Stackfreed Attributed to Conrad Kreizer, (Augsburg), German. Made circa 1600. Fine and extremely rare, small rock crystal, gilt metal and pre-balance spring, singlehand pendant watch with stackfreed and polychrome champleve enamel silver dial. Two-body, octagonal, deep back, cut from a single piece of rock crystal, faceted on the sides and the back, hinged rock crystal front cover similarly faceted with small central finial fixed to an engraved gilt bezel, small tulip pendant and turned spire finial with pierced and engraved scroll feet. Octagonal, silver, chapter ring with champleve enamel radial Roman numerals with half-hour divisions, the border and center decorated with polychrome champlevé enamel flowers and leaves. Engraved gilt foliate hand. Oval, 26 x 22 mm, gilt brass full plate, column pillars, fixed barrel, C-shaped stackfreed, short three-wheel train pinions with 6 and 5 leaves, verge escapement, circular steel foliot, adjustable pivoted lever for hog’s bristle regulation, small brass S-shaped cock with wide pierced and engraved foot secured by a screw. Dim. 50 x 27 mm. Notes In the early 17th century small watches were very rare. The Stackfreed Was designed to equalize the varying force of the mainspring. This was necessary because the rate of the foliot’s oscillation depends directly on the force with which the escape wheel acts upon it. In a watch, the force transmitted to the escape wheel when the watch is fully wound is about tw
Auctioneer:
Antiquorum
Date:
2009-11-14
