Important Collectors’ Wristwatches, P...

New York, Dec 07, 2005

LOT 33

?Grande Chronomaster XXT Tourbillon? Zenith, ?Grande Chronomaster XXT Tourbillon El Primero?, No. 41/50. Made in a limited edition of 50 examples in 2004. Very fine, oversized, self-winding, water-resistant, 18K pink gold gentleman's wristwatch with visible one-minute tourbillon regulator, oval button chronograph, registers, date and an 18K pink gold Zenith deployant clasp.

USD 60,000 - 70,000

EUR 50,000 - 60,000

C. Two-body, solid, polished, stepped bezel and lugs, transparent case back with 8 screws, sapphire crystals. D. Satiné silver with applied oversized pink gold dart indexes, off-center "guilloché" silver dial for the hours and minutes with subsidiary dials for the 12-hour and 30-minute registers, aperture at 11 for the visible tourbillon regulator under a polished and faceted pink gold bridge, surrounded by the date disk. Pink gold "dauphine" hands. M. Cal. El Primero 4005, rhodium-plated, "fausses côtes" decoration, 35 jewels, straight line lever escapement with visible one-minute tourbillon regulator with satin-finished steel cage, monometallic balance, shock-absorber, self-compensating flat balance-spring, 22K gold rotor. Dial, case and movement signed. Diam. 45 mm. Thickness 14 mm.


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Grading System
Grade: AAA

Excellent
Case: 2

Very good
Movement: 1

As new
Dial: 1-01

As new

HANDS Original

Notes

The Zenith Company?s history begins in 1865, when Georges Favre-Jacot took up the production of high quality watches in Le Locle, Switzerland. During its impressive history the company was awarded 1565 awards at various exhibitions and it was able to develop and to produce more than 50 different calibers over time. In 1969, during difficult times for the industry, the ?El Primero? movement became the world?s fastest beating chronograph movement, beating at a speed of 36,000 vibrations per hour. It set a new standard and the movement, with some modifications, is still in production today, and is also used by several other highend brands. Under the new ownership of the LVMH conglomerate the ?manufacture? has excelled to introduce innovative and more complicated timepieces with often bold designs. The ?Grande Chronomaster XXT Tourbillon? with its new 4005 caliber features a tourbillon regulator built into the ?El Primero?s? fast beating and proven foundation, making it the only tourbillon available in the market which rotates once a minute in a movement oscillating at the high speed of 36,000 vph. Cal. 4005 is made from 319 individual parts with the very unusual feature of having the date disc fitted within the tourbillon aperture.