A. Lange & Söhne Glashütte B/Dresden / Palais Royal Habana, Movement No. 40331, Case No. 40331, 51 mm, 110 g, circa 1897

An exquisite, extremely rare Glashuette splendour hunting case pocket watch with magnificent case decoration by Prof. Carl Ludwig Graff, retailed by Le Palais Royal in Havana, Cuba - manufactured in quality 1A
Case: 18k rose gold, engraved gold dome: "Especiales para Les Palais Royal -Obispo 58 y 60- Habana". Dial: enamel. Movm.: 3/4 plate movement, gold screw compensation balance.

"Le Palais Royal" was the only official speciality retailer of watches, jewellery and silver in Havana, Cuba. Watches that were originally delivered to Le Palais Royal are exceptionally rare and hardly ever appear on the market.

Prof. Karl Ludwig Theodor Graff , who was appointed director of the Institute of Applied Arts in Dresden (Dresdner Kunstgewerbeschule) in 1875, to create designs in this vein. From the 1880s onwards, more and more ostentatious decorations were created at Lange & Soehne company, where the medallion showed the image of the ancient Roman goddess Minerva, who had been worshipped as goddess of crafts, poetry and wisdom. Professor Graff then copyrighted his design which had won first prize in the Institute of Applied Arts' 1890 competition for the design and decoration of pocket watch cases.