59,000 CHF
“Westminster Chime Minute-Repeating” Longines, movement by Constant Piguet, Le Sentier, No. 3652, Swiss patent No. 11948. Made circa 1910. Very fine and very rare, 18K gold, hunting-cased, keyless, minute-repeating pocket watch with carillon Westminster chime. Four-body, "bassine" polished, the front cover with engraved initials. Hinged gold cuvette. White enamel, large Breguet numerals, outer minute track, subsidiary seconds. Gold "spade" hands. 45 mm. (20’’’), gilt brass, 32 jewels, straight-line lever escapement, cut bimetallic compensation balance with blued steel Breguet balance spring, index regulator, repeating on four gongs with four hammers activated by a slide on the band. Dial moviment and case numered 3652. Diam. 54 mm. Notes Carillon minute repeating watches are very rare; only a few are known with Westminster chimes. On March 20, 1896, Constant Piguet patented this system of minute-repeat with carillon, under the No. 11948 . Carillon minute repeating watches are very rare; only a few are known either with four hammer chimes or Westminster chimes. The makers that specialized in this type of watch were Constant Piguet, Eduard JeanRichard, and Victorin Piguet. The known tunes played by four hammer carillons are: Westminster chimes, the Swiss National anthem, and God Save the King. Similar watches were sold by Antiquorum, Exceptional Horological Works of Art, Geneva, October 19, 2002, lot 8, and Important Collectors’ Wristwatches, Pocket Watches and Clocks
Auctioneer:
Antiquorum
Date:
2006-10-15
