Important Watches, Wristwatches and C...

Geneva, Hotel Des Bergues, Oct 31, 1998

LOT 115

Dumas, Eleve du Gouvernement, No. 24, circa 1840. Very fine and one of the extremely rare examples of mahogany marine chronometer made under the control of Henri Motel.

CHF 55,000 - 65,000

C. Double body mahogany box with slide on the lid over the observation aperture. Brass bowl and gimballed suspension, locking bolt on the edge. D. Silvered with Roman numerals and subsidiary seconds. Blued steel Breguet hands. M. Brass, "fausses cotes" finished, Motel calibre the fusee with maintaining power and the barrel secured by a single bridge, the escapement mounted on a separated plate, Louis Berthoud type pivoted escapement, fourarm compensation balance with four weights, poising and timing screws, blued steel conical balance spring. Signed on the dial and movement. Dial diam. 82 mm. Dim. 14 x 16 x 16 cm.


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Grading System
Grade:
Case: 2

Very good
Movement: 2*

Very good

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

Very good

HANDS Original

Notes

This chronometer is identical to the ultimate development of the chronometers produced by Henri Motel. Onesime Dumas was placed by the Government, in 1837, as pupil to Perrelet then in charge of the Ernie des Florlogers de la Marine since 1832. When Perrelet decided to retire in December 1839, Charles Auguste Berthoud was appointed as his successor by the Ministre de la Marine to complete the instruction of his pupils. Therefore, the very first chronometers produced by Onesime Dumas were very similar to those made by Louis Berthoud and later by his two sons. When he left the workshop of Charles Auguste Berthoud, he completed his apprenticeship with his uncle Henri Motel. He then succeeded to Cannery in Saint Nicolas d'Aliermont, in 1851, where he was the first in France to produce chronometers with a calibre drawn from that, much less expensive to produce, made in England. Chronometers made by him, similar to those of Henri Motel, where he worked for two years only, are extremely rare and certainly the most sought after by collectors.