100th Auction

2019/11/15

Lot 6

A. Lange & Söhne Glashütte B/Dresden, Movement No. 61408, Case No. 61408, 56 mm, 122 g, circa 1925
A silver Glashuette deck watch with independent jumping seconds mechanism "seconde morte", sold in 1925 for 750 marks to Johann Schmid, priest in Poetzmes (Bavaria) - with original box, certificate and order confirmation, invoices and contemporary correspondance
Case: silver, pink gold hinges and crown. Dial: silver. Movm.: 3/4 plate movement, gold screw compensation balance.
Should one take a watch when travelling by train?
In 1925 the parish priest of Pötzmes in Bavaria purchased a fine quality silver pocket watch from Lange & Söhne in Glashütte. The timepiece boasts a fairly rare silver dial and a large, jumping central second with stop function (a so-called "seconde morte"); the delicate movement is still in perfect condition. Although Pötzmes was nowhere near a railway line, the man of the cloth was nevertheless apprehensive about the effect electrical installations may have on the running of his watch. When he approached Lange & Söhne with his question, he was assured that - whereas a visit to a 20,000-volt transformer station was not to be recommended - normal use of the 50,000-volt railway should not affect the watch. The driver’s cab was to be avoided though.
Four original bills for cleaning and adjusting by the maker bear evidence of the care that was put into the maintenance of this timepiece. In February 1941, however, the watch was returned to its owner without having been serviced – at the time Lange & Söhne were not permitted to carry out any civil work.

Sold

estimated
7.00015.000 €
Price realized
22.500 €