97th Auction
2018/5/12
Lot 68
A. Lange & Co., Glashütte / Friedrich Gutkaes, Dresden, Movement No. 1154, Case No. 1154, 45 mm, 66 g, circa 1850
A historically important and early Glashuette keywind pocket watch with pin lever escapement from A. Lange's experimental period
Case: 18k gold. Dial: enamel. Movm.: bridge movement, gold screw compensation balance.
Gustav Bernhard Gutkaes (1817-1893) was the brother-in-law and associate of A. Lange and together they took over the business of his father Friedrich Gutkaes in 1842. G.B. Gutkaes continued running the watch shop in Schlossstrasse in Dresden; he was the first authorised retailer of the newly established watch manufactory of A. Lange in Glashütte. By special order this watch bears only his name - a common business process which other retailers also used frequently. Watch no. Watch no. 1154 was created circa 1851/52 - this assumption is supported by a letter from Lange to Dr. A. Weinling dating from October 3, 1851, where he writes:"....we have stamped numbers in the eleventh hundred". After 1850 stone cutter Oskar Dittrich had enough experience to change the steel pins in the lever for cut stones in prismatic shape. The top plate of the movement was radically reduced and for some time replaced the old ebauches that had been used until then. The lever still had a long fork. There are only very few examples (about 50 to 100 pieces) of this type of calibre with the vertical, prismatic stones. The signature "Fr. Gutkaes Dresden" was probably used for the reputation of the older Gutkaes, who was maker to the court - Gustav Bernhard Gutkaes himself was only appointed maker to the court in 1855.
Kindly supported by Mr. Bernd Schaarschmidt
A historically important and early Glashuette keywind pocket watch with pin lever escapement from A. Lange's experimental period
Case: 18k gold. Dial: enamel. Movm.: bridge movement, gold screw compensation balance.
Gustav Bernhard Gutkaes (1817-1893) was the brother-in-law and associate of A. Lange and together they took over the business of his father Friedrich Gutkaes in 1842. G.B. Gutkaes continued running the watch shop in Schlossstrasse in Dresden; he was the first authorised retailer of the newly established watch manufactory of A. Lange in Glashütte. By special order this watch bears only his name - a common business process which other retailers also used frequently. Watch no. Watch no. 1154 was created circa 1851/52 - this assumption is supported by a letter from Lange to Dr. A. Weinling dating from October 3, 1851, where he writes:"....we have stamped numbers in the eleventh hundred". After 1850 stone cutter Oskar Dittrich had enough experience to change the steel pins in the lever for cut stones in prismatic shape. The top plate of the movement was radically reduced and for some time replaced the old ebauches that had been used until then. The lever still had a long fork. There are only very few examples (about 50 to 100 pieces) of this type of calibre with the vertical, prismatic stones. The signature "Fr. Gutkaes Dresden" was probably used for the reputation of the older Gutkaes, who was maker to the court - Gustav Bernhard Gutkaes himself was only appointed maker to the court in 1855.
Kindly supported by Mr. Bernd Schaarschmidt
Sold
estimated
6.500—12.000 €
Price realized
8.100 €