97th Auction

2018/5/12

Lot 16

A. Lange & Söhne Glashütte B/Dresden, Movement No. 25505, Case No. 25505, 57 mm, 163 g, circa 1887
A very rare Glashuette hunting case pocket watch of historical interest, with quarter repeater and chronograph in quality 1A - sold in 1887 for 1650 Marks to watchmaker Dover, Donaueschingen for Prince Fürstenberg - Lange only produced a total of 62 examples of this model. With original box and original certificate
Case: 18k pink gold, case design "Louis XV à goutte", gold dome with presentation engraving: "In dankbarer Erinnerung von Amelie Prinzessin von Fürstenberg, Rippoldsau Mai 1887". Dial: enamel, gold Louis XV hands. Movm.: 3/4 plate movement, mirror-polished, bevelled chronograph steel parts, ratchet wheel, 2 hammers / 2 gongs, gold screw compensation balance, gold lever and escape wheel.
A service report by Lange & Söhne in Glashütte dating from 1907 states, that this watch originally belonged to the senior civil servant Nussbaum in Offenburg in the Black Forest. Emil Nussbaum was born on June 29, 1855 in Offenburg; from 1883 he worked as a jurist and head official for the government of Baden, in a position similar to today’s district administrator. He died on August 20, 1936 in Freiburg im Breisgau. Unfortunately we do not know the reason why Princess Amelie of Fürstenberg ordered this complicated chronograph with engraved dedication for Nussbaum from watchmaker Dover in Donaueschingen in 1887.
Princess Amelie of Fürstenberg, Duchess of Ratibor and Corvey was born on February 12, 1821 in Donaueschingen; she was the daughter of Prince Carl Egon of Fürstenberg. The princess married Prince Viktor I of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst and the couple had nine children.
Princess Amelie was a strong patron of the Badischer Frauenverein (Women’s Association of Baden) and the children’s saline bath in Donaueschingen in particular. The princess died on January 17, 1899 at the monastery in Rauden in Poland (today's Rudy).

Sold

estimated
25.00040.000 €
Price realized
42.200 €