3,540 CHF
“Self-Winding” August Von Loehr, “Perpetual Patent”, Swiss made, No. 214. Made circa 1880. Fine and rare, silver, self-winding, square pocket watch with power reserve indication. Four-body, entirely engraved with masks, scrolls and foliage, silver hinged cuvette. White enamel, radial Roman numerals, outer minute track and Arabic five minute numerals, subsidiary seconds at 10, power reserve scale at 2. Gold “Louis XV” hands. Square, 38 x 38 mm. (17 x 17’’’), nickel, 15 jewels, lateral counterpoised lever escapement, cut-bimetallic compensation balance with flat balance spring, jeweled Tshaped oscillating weight with steel banking pins, index regulator. Signed on the dial and case “Loehr Patent”, on cuvette “Patent perpetual No. 216”. Dim. 48 x 48 mm. To be sold without reserve Notes On April 12, 1878 August von Loehr of Vienna filed for a British patent for a selfwinding watch with a special simple overwinding prevention system and a special setting mechanism. On July 13, 1878, he filed for a USA patent, which was granted on January 7, 1879 (No. 211280). Before Loehr’s invention, self-winding watches required an elaborate disengaging system when fully wound. Loehr overcame this problem in a very simple way by employing an elastic ratchet pawl.
Auctioneer:
Antiquorum
Date:
2006-05-14
