100th Auction

2019/11/15

Lot 23

B. Reboullet, Ecole Nationale d'Horlogerie de Cluses, Movement No. 4960, Case No. 4960, 55 mm, 136 g, circa 1903
A French quarter repeating graduate's precision watch - lever chronometer - with chronograph
Case: 18k rose gold, monogrammed. Dial: enamel. Movm.: bridge movement, 2 hammers / 2 gongs, gold screw compensation balance with 2 movable navette shaped platinum weights, blued helical balance spring.
The design of this complex graduation piece contains some interesting features - the most striking of them being the unusual balance, which has only six screws but is fitted with two oval weights in the style of a chronometer balance; the weights are made of platinum. Signature and movement number are concealed under the dial. The 18K hallmarked case - in itself unusual for a school watch – made by the Société générale des monteurs de boîtes d’or de Besançon shows that the watchmaker B. Reboullet created himself a truly special souvenir of his apprenticeship; this is verified by the engraving "Souvenir d'apprentissage" on the cuvette. Another known piece Reboullet produced during his time at the Ecole d’Horlogerie Cluses is the demonstration model of a spring detent escapement, also dating from 1903. This exceptional graduation piece is supremely executed; no expense was spared to create a truly unique masterpiece.
The former royal and later national watch- and clockmaking school was established by King Charles Albert of Sardinia in 1848 to support the economic development in Cluses in the Arve Valley and of course in the whole Duchy of Savoy. The original school was modeled on the school in Geneva, the first director of the Cluses school was French maker Achille Benoit of Paris.

Sold

estimated
12.00020.000 €
Price realized
27.500 €