Untitled Document

LeCoultre & Co. Geneva Seal.

A Minute repeating, 18ct. Rose Gold,

Hunting cased Pocket Watch C.1900.

Please quote Stock # 3031.

Imagine being driven through the streets of Victorian London at night in a handsome cab, the horses hooves clip clopping, echoing on the cobbled streets. A swirling fog outside and the occasional crack of the whip.

You need to know the time, its pitch dark,.... without even having to open your hunting cased pocket watch, the slide on the case band activates the chimes that tell you the time to the nearest minute.

It was expressly for this reason that such highly complicated repeating watches were produced from as early as 1687.

Even in their day, repeating watches would have been very costly items, requiring the highest watch making skills to produce.

With the advent of mobile electric lighting the need for such complicated timepieces waned. However, since that time any watch manufacturer wishing to lay claim to the traditional high standards and immense skills of those past watchmakers, would make it their business to produce a repeating watch in their range, simply to demonstrate that they were able to do so.

Such amazing items were produced by the finest manufacturers, to the highest standards. From the very earliest period right up to today, repeating watches are amongst the most sought after timepieces by collectors world wide.

A magnificent antique Minute Repeating, Gentleman's Hunting Cased Pocket Watch in 18ct. Rose Gold, of the very highest grade and quality struck with the famous "Geneva Seal" C.1900.

The white enamel dial in perfect condition with sunken subsidiary seconds dial and fine Gold Louis XV hands. Arabic numerals with outer minute track numbered five to sixty.

The substantial classic full Hunting case in elegant 18ct. Rose Gold, with hinged cuvette and glazed dust cover (for safe viewing of the movement), all in superb condition.

On activating the slide on the case band a secondary movement powers the striking of two internal gongs by two exquisite tiny hammers. A charming single deep gong sounding the hours, a double strike using both the hammers and the gongs, sounding the quarters, followed by a single hammer striking a single higher note for the minutes past the last quarter on the another gong.

The time to the nearest minute on demand, the Minute repeater, one of the most complicated mechanical items on the face of the planet, a truly amazing and outstanding Horological achievement.

The beautiful LeCoultre movement, in superb condition, rhodium-plated, Côtes de Genève decoration, 31 jewels, lever escapement, cut bimetallic compensation balance, blued steel Breguet balance spring, repeating on two gongs activated by a slide on the band.

This magnificent movement is struck, on the base plate and on one of the bridges with the famous and most coveted "Geneva Seal", attesting to the most stringent and strict requirements governing the quality of materials, manufacture and finishing of this Horological masterpiece.

The Geneva Seal was created in 1886 by the institution named “Poinçon de Genève” to identify timepieces built following Geneva’s traditional watch making standards. It can apply only to locally crafted mechanical movements which comply with the highest quality criteria. It is probably the most stringent set of rules ever established for any manufactured product. To qualify for the hallmarked coat of arms of the city of Geneva, a movement must fulfil all 12 criteria of the regulation.

Stock # 3031
Date: C.1900
Metal; 18ct Rose Gold
Diameter : 52mm
Price: £9,900.00

Please do not hesitate to contact me should you require any further information on this particular Antique Pocket Watch or indeed any of the items on my web site.

I am open here in the London Silver Vaults, Monday to Friday, from 10.0 until 5.00

and would be delighted to assist if I possibly can.