Important Modern and Vintage Timepieces

Geneva, Mar 11, 2012

LOT 41

THOMAS ENGEL TOURBILLON NO. VIII Thomas Engel, Regulateur Tourbillon, No. VIII, the carriage by Richard Daners. Sold on March 21st, 1983. Exceptionally fine and very rare, 18K gold and enamel, keyless one-minute tourbillon regulator with thermometer and power-reserve indication. Accompanied by the original Thomas Engel fitted wooden box, certificate, spare mainspring and blued steel hands.

CHF 35,000 - 45,000

USD 38,000 - 50,000 / EUR 30,000 - 37,000

C. Four-body, "forme collier", screw-down engine turned back overlaid with translucent green enamel with very elegantly arranged gold paillon leaves, engine turned band, gold glazed cuvette, ball-shaped, swiveling pendant winder. D. Silver, two-tone with champlevé radial Roman numerals, outer minute divisions, engine turned center, 48-hour powerreserve sector at 3 o'clock, subsidiary seconds at 6 o'clock, thermometer sector at 10 o'clock. Gold Breguet hands. M. 50 mm, half-plate, fausses cotes decoration, three-arm carriage with lateral lever escapement, Guillaume balance with special non-magnetic Nivarox prima balance spring with Phillips terminal curves with two pins for adjustment between horizontal and vertical positions, entire train jeweled, escapement with endstones. Dial, case and movement signed. Diam. 56.5 mm.


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Grading System
Grade: AAA

Excellent
Case: 2

Very good
Movement: 2*

Very good

Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense
Dial: 2-01

Very good

HANDS Original

Notes

This superbly designed and equally well executed watch is a tribute to the horological talents and capabilities of late 20th century horologists. Professor Thomas Engel is known worldwide for his exceptional research in the production of polymers. In 1966, he developed a process for cross-linking plastic extrusions, particularly those of cross-linked polyethylene. Based on the reaction of plastics at pressures of 15,000 to 150,000 psi and temperatures of approximately 300° and in the presence of a peroxide catalyst as cross-linking agent, this process was a signifi cant step forward in plastics technology. It resulted in the production of a high molecular weight product having improved heat and chemical resistance, which is still in use over forty years later. Engel has received numerous prizes and honors for his work. In 1972, he was awarded the "Diesel Prize" along with Dr. Wernherr von Braun, the rocket and space technologist.