Swiss gold tourbillon lever watch with centre seconds Circa 1930

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Kenmerk
AD0789
Diameter
52 mm
Estimate
€ 5.000 - 10.000
Price sold
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Gold decorative one minute tourbillon by Invicta
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A historically interesting Swiss gold and diamond set centre seconds pocket watch with a one minute tourbillon, circa 1930. Probably custom made for Ahmad II Pasha Bey of Tunis, ruler of Tunisia. This watch has a gilt brass movement with the patent signature Fureur No. 34394, a lever escapement, screw compensation balance, and finely floral engraved and open worked balance bridge. It features a signed white enamel regulator dial with eccentric time indication in the upper half, radial Arabic hours, minute divisions, cathedral hands, centre seconds, an outer minute track, Arabic five minute numerals, and an outermost fifth of a second track.
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The case has diamond set bezels and two crescents, with an Arabic inscription on the back. The upper inscription indicates the Islamic year 1351, corresponding to 1932 in the Christian calendar. The lower inscription refers to Ahmed II Pasha Bey of Tunis. A visible tourbillon.

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Diameter: 52 mm
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Weight: 121 g
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Signed: Invicta Tourbillon Brevet
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Ahmad II Pasha Bey of Tunis from the Husaynid dynasty was born in 1862. He was the ruler of Tunisia from 1929 until he died in 1942
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L&E. Fallet Fils in Saint-Imier, Swiss watch manufacturers
L&E. Fallet Fils was founded by Louis Fallet and his son Edouard. After Louis passed away, Edouard continued the business. The company was known for manufacturing A-type tourbillon watches (a carrousel). In 1888, they received an Honourable Mention at the National Watch Exhibition in La Chaux-de-Fonds.
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In 1905, the company received Swiss Patent No. 34394 for a tourbillon. Edouard Fallet avoided the fact that he placed the tourbillon on an axis in the center of the watch, which was patented by the French Paul Loichot from Charquemont (Doubs) on June 11th, 1904, in Switzerland under No. 30754. The claim included that the bogie was visible on the dial side. Presumably, Paul Loichot intervened against the granted patent, and patent No. 34394 was declared invalid on April 30th, 1908.
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Other companies could license these movements or use movements supplied by Fallet. For example, Invicta and Courvoisier Frères in La Chaux-de-Fonds or Fureur & Cie in Geneva, registered on December 19th, 1903 by Edouard Fallet. Some watches from Courvoisier Frères are known under the brand name Mobilis with different patents: Swiss Patent No. 34394, as well as Swiss Patent Nos. 30754 and 19062.
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Tourbillon: In horology, a tourbillon is an addition to the mechanics of a watch escapement that increases accuracy. It was developed around 1795 and patented by the French Swiss watchmaker Abraham Louis Breguet on June 26, 1801. In a tourbillon, the escapement and balance wheel are mounted in a rotating cage to negate gravity’s effects when the timepiece is stuck in a certain position. The tourbillon averages out positional errors by continuously rotating the entire balance wheel and escapement assembly at a slow rate, typically about one revolution per minute..

Signed: Invicta Tourbillon Brevet

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