Swiss 18K gold limited edition Hundertwasser watch Circa 1992

Gold designer pocket watch 
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A new old stock Swiss 18 carat gold limited edition Hundertwasser designer pocket watch, circa 1992. Created in collaboration with the Swiss Watchmaking School in Biel. The polished ½ plate Unitas 6497 movement with a lever escapement, 17 jewels, Glucydur balance and inca bloc shock protection for the balance. A polychrome enamel dial with fancy hands on the front and on the back a skeletonized dial with multicoloured hands. More than 50 grams of gold was used for the solid, curved, blackened case, the crown is set with a tourmaline and on the band are the numbers 1 to 12. Comes with the original wooden presentation box, which can also be used as a stand, and the original brochure.
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Diameter: 43 mm
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Weight: 72 g
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Signed: Manus Verlag – Hundertwasser
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This timepiece is a limited edition, No. 160/999, designed by Epos and the renowned Austrian painter and architect Friedensreich Hundertwasser. Hundertwasser, most commonly known for using spirals and arabesque lines as well as intense colours in his projects, took seven years to complete the design. Not only does the watch’s dial strongly identify the artist, but the two pairs of hands at the front and back of the watch run reversed to show the paradoxical time in which the artist believes. Originally, 999 watches were planned for this limited edition, but due to the high sales price of 24.400 Swiss Francs, probably no more than 200 pieces have come into circulation.
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The Unitas 6497 movement has been enhanced by teachers and students at the Swiss Watchmaking School in Biel so that a second hand device can run counterclockwise on the back.
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Friedensreich Regentag Dunkelbunt Hundertwasser was an Austrian artist who later took on New Zealand citizenship. Born as Friedrich Stowasser in Vienna on December 15, 1928, he became, although controversial, one of the best known contemporary Austrian artists by the end of the 20th century. He died on February 19, 2000, aboard the RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 near New Zealand.