Thematic Auction in Geneva:The Evolut...

Hotel Noga Hilton, Geneva, Nov 16, 2002

LOT 322

Dent, Maker to the Queen, 33 Cockspur St., Charing Cross, London, No. 27214, hallmarked 1871-72.Very fine and very rare 18K gold keyless double-train inde-pendent dead seconds watch with split-seconds chronograph with 12-hour coaxial stem register.

CHF 16,500 - 20,000

EUR 11,000 - 13,000

Sold: CHF 17,250

C. Four-body, "bassine et filets", polished, gold hinged cuvette, chronograph activation pushpiece at 9 o'clock. D. White enamel (attributed to Willis), two small radial Roman chapters, one for the going train and one for the recorder, outer minute track, sunk centers, outer seconds track with five-minute Arabic markers, subsidiary sunk seconds. Blued steel "spade" hands. M. 43 mm. (19'''), 3/4 plate, frosted gilt, two going barrels, 29 jewels, lateral counterpoised lever escapement, cut bimetalic compensation balance with gold and platinum screws, blued steel Breguet balance spring, diamond endstone, dead seconds mechanism via gold dart engaging the escape wheel, unusual split seconds mechanism as well as concentric setting mechanism with double clutch wheel.Signed on dial and movement, case punched by the casemaker "JTW".Diam. 49 mm.


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Grading System
Grade: AAA

Excellent
Case: 3

Good
Movement: 3*

Good

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

Notes

English watches with independent seconds are rare. This one, with its double clutch setting and the unusual split-seconds mechanism, is particularly unusual. The dead seconds mechanism operates in three phases, controlled by a single pushbutton: 1st push - to start both hands from zero position regardless of whether they are split or not; 2nd push - to split; 3rd push - to stop