$4,484
Chronometre - Keyless Cover Winding Maison B. Haas Jeune, Geneve-Paris, "Chronometre Remontoir Perpetuel", No. 15795. Made for the Hispanic market, circa 1890. Fine, 18K gold, hunting-cased, keyless pocket lever chronometer with remontoire perpétuel à décrochement keyless cover winding. Four-body, "bassine", polished, the front cover decorated with an engraved trophy of a palm frond, anchor, caduceus and cornucopia, the back with a monogram "JR". Hinged gold cuvette. White enamel with radial Roman numerals, outer minute track and gold painted Arabic five-minute numerals, subsidiary seconds. Gold spade hands. Notes In 1873, Benjamin Haas patented a winding mechanism (English patent No. 3945), using the energy generated when closing the front cover to wind the watch. The initial idea was improved; this watch features a well-developed system with a 36-hour power reserve generated by twelve closings. To achieve this, Hass added an additional wheel to the going train, which allowed him three hours winding by a single closing. He also designed a safety device disengaging the mechanism when fully wound, which was necessary to prevent damage to the cover.
Auctioneer:
Antiquorum
Date:
2007-12-05
