90th Auction

2014/11/15

Lot 88

Kirowa/1. Moskauer Uhrenfabrik, Movement No. 0098, 135 x 85 x 135 mm, circa 1964
An extremely rare, almost as new, small Russian 8 day chronometer with "15 seconds escapement" and constant force
Case: mahogany, brass bezel and cushioning inlay, aluminium case. Dial: silvered, signed, numbered, inlaid Arabic numerals, large auxiliary seconds, blued alpha hands. Movm.: 2/3 plate movement, gilt, "fausses côtes" decoration, chatoned, polished screws, cylindrical movement pillars, powered by 2 barrels on intermediate wheel, tandem wind with evolvent teeth, 4-armed device for motion work control and winder of the constant force spring; this creates 15 second steps of the minute hand while the seconds hand runs as usual, lever escapement, monometallic balance with brass and steel screws, freesprung balance spring, chatoned diamond endstone on balance.
Steffen Röhner documents such a 4-63 instrument no. 0034 in UHREN 3/1992; it is fitted with a monometallic balance and a Breguet spring without extra adjuster. He explains: "It seems likely that the watch was designed for special use, for example on submarines. The number 0034 points to a small series and the quality of the workmanship is excellent ", and sums up: "This Kirow chronometer of April 1963 was most likely the last wholehearted attempt at using a remontoir for improving the running of a watch."

estimated
10.00015.000 €
Price realized
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