Important Collectors’ Wristwatches, P...

Hong Kong,the Ritz Carlton Hotel,harbour Room, 3rd Floor, Jun 02, 2007

LOT 61

"The Lovers" Le Phare (Barbezat-Baillot, Locle), Swiss, No. 83668. Made for the Chinese market, retailed by Levy Hermanos, Hong Kong, circa 1900. Very fine and rare, minute-repeating, 18K gold and painted on enamel, pearl-set, keyless pocket watch with chronograph.

C. Four-body, "bassine et filets" with split pearl-set bezels, the band with champlevé enameled decoration, the back panel decorated with a painted on enamel scene of two lovers in a rustic landscape against a green guilloche enamel ground. Hinged gold cuvette, the border engraved with foliate decoration. D. White enamel with radial Roman numerals, outer minute track and fifths of a second chronograph divisions, Arabic five minute/seconds numerals, subsidiary seconds. Gilt brass paste-set hands. M. 19???, gilt brass, 23 jewels, straight line lever escapement, cut bimetallic compensation balance, blued steel Breguet balance spring, repeating on gongs activated by a button in the band, centrifugal governor, chronograph with visible work, button on the winding crown. Cuvette signed. Diam. 53 mm.