Lot 541

A. Lange, Glasshütte / Fr. Gutkaes, Dresden (G & L), Movement No. 463, Case No. 463, 47 mm, 67 g, circa 1848
A rare and early Glashuette pocket watch with pin-pallet escapement from A. Lange's experimental period
Case: silver. Dial: enamel. Movm.: 1/2 plate movement, gold screw compensation balance with platinum regulation screws.
This keywind pocket watch dates from the very early days of the horological industry in Glashütte. During this period of experimentation Adolph Lange for some time favoured pin pallet escapements – in this case with an extra-long fork and steel pins, which were later replaced by stones; that type of escapement was relatively easy to make and Lange also considered it to have technical advantages. A nearly identical movement with number 356 is described by Kurt Herkner on page 36 of his book"Glashütte und seine Uhren" (Glashütte and its timepieces), where he also points out the observation holes for checking the meshing of the wheels. The signature "A. Lange, Glasshutte" on the dial seems to indicate that the watch was intended – even at that early point in time – for the English-speaking market.

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