Lot 25

Glashütter Uhrenbetriebe GUB, Glashütte SA, Movement No. 126549, Case No. 100929, Cal. 28, 32 mm, circa 1953
A gentleman's rare Glashuette wiristwatch - Chronometer Q1
Case: 14k gold, push back. Dial: silvered, raised indexes/Arabic numerals, centre seconds, alpha hands. Movm.: 3/4 plate movement, frosted, silvered, monometallic screw balance.
Between 1952 and 1956 only 1437 pieces of this caliber were produced in gold.
The calibers 28 and 28.1 were the last designs before the expropriation in 1948.
Immediately after World War II the management of the company instructed their designing engineers to look into wristwatches. The deck watch caliber had previously produced good results.
So the company decided to produce a smaller type of the deck watch caliber, with small seconds and central seconds. Production was difficult in these times; materials had been used up during the war, the movement manufactory had been destroyed by a bombing on May 8th, 1945, and money had lost most of its value. The occupying forces demanded chronometers as reparation payments.
Despite these difficulties preparations for caliber 28 were accomplished by 1948. However, just as production for these movements was about to begin, the sequestration on April 20th, 1948 prevented the owners to reach this achievement in their company.
Lit.: "Glashütte und seine Uhren" by Kurt Herkner, vol. II, Dormagen 1978.