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Lot Essay
A unique and historically important masterpiece, this sensational six-minute tourbillon watch with 30 degree inclined balance has become an icon among devotees of high precision watchmaking as one of the ultimate trophies of haute horology.
It is no exaggeration to say that this watch has also been a direct inspiration to some of the most important contemporary independent watchmakers including Greubel Forsey, Richard Daners and Thomas Prescher. As such, it is of immense historical significance.
For the past two decades it has been an undoubted highlight of one of the world’s great watch collections. Not seen in public for almost 20 years, it is offered here at auction for the first time since 2002 when it achieved a world record price for a German-made pocket watch. Collectors and those who appreciate the very best in watchmaking are once again afforded the unique opportunity to possess a watchmaking legend.
Walter Prendel, born in Groitzsch, Saxony, was a watchmaking prodigy. As a student, he attended the prestigious Deutsche Uhrmacherschule (German Watchmaking School) in Glashütte and studied under the master watchmaker Alfred Helwig, professor and technical director, who, in 1920 invented the flying tourbillon. The flying tourbillon has the same single driving force of a tourbillon but rather than being supported by a bridge or cock at both top and bottom, it is cantilevered, being only supported from one side, hence the designation "flying".
Walter Prendel was one of only four students ever to graduate the Deutsche Uhrmacherschule in Glashütte with honours. Between 1927 and 1928, he constructed the present watch, its unique feature being the balance inclined at an angle of 30 degrees. Prendel states that this was (as far as he was aware) unique in a watch although the famous American watchmaker Albert Potter had constructed a carriage clock with inclined tourbillon around 1860. It is possible that Prendel had known about Potter’s clock, setting himself the challenge of using the invention in a watch. Prendel emigrated to the United States in 1929 and became Technical Director of Engineering for the Waltham Watch Co. until 1966.
In July 1949, a technical description of his remarkable tourbillon watch was given by Walter Prendel himself. It is reproduced here below courtesy of the NAWCC’s Bulletin:
“The original tourbillon, an invention of the great French watchmaker Breguet to overcome position errors, revolves its carriage once a minute. My tourbillon has a revolution cycle of six minutes. A unique feature is the inclined balance staff, which deviates 30 degrees from being upright. This design has been chosen because of a tourbillon going fast in large motions. The flat positions therefore are eliminated, and the cut rims of the balance do not have to be thinner in order to utilize centrifugal force to slow down large arcs. A revolution of six minutes has been chosen to take care of another tendency of the one minute tourbillon. It is the greater strain and wear on the escape teeth and stones. Not only the momentum of a light escape wheel, but that of the whole tourbillon carriage has to be stopped at each beat of the balance. A six minute revolution with 1800 little steps instead of only 300 eases up this process considerably, if the steel cage is made in the customary light manner. The tourbillon carriage arbour carries a third pinion which engages the centre wheel. The fourth wheel revolves in the carriage, in gear with the stationary third wheel. Another ordinary third wheel drives a loose fourth pinion with the second hand. The connection between a small fourth wheel in the carriage and the balance is made over an escape wheel which is 15 degrees out of upright and a pallet with a 23 degree slant of its arbour. This procedure is quite unorthodox. The one escape wheel pivot will be pressed lightly against its endstone. The escape teeth with move in a curve over the pallet stones while the jewel pin has in addition to its radial action, a slight up and down motion in the fork. Anyone who doubts the workability of this arrangement would be surprised to see the fine steady motions of this watch. There are two mainspring barrels, each one can be wound six turns. Only four turns altogether are utilized by means of stopwork. The winding indicator is of the differential type. Its transmission to the dial is done through a pierced barrel arbour.
Ordinarily, tourbillon carriages can be made of carbon steel which already has a mellow spring temper. In this case, soft steel was used which was heat treated later, after tapping was done and the seats for six sets of jewel settings were turned at different angles. Balance pallet and escape wheel are in poise, even the whole carriage may be considered to be in poise, as far as this can be done on a rather involved system of moving parts”.
It is no exaggeration to say that this watch has also been a direct inspiration to some of the most important contemporary independent watchmakers including Greubel Forsey, Richard Daners and Thomas Prescher. As such, it is of immense historical significance.
For the past two decades it has been an undoubted highlight of one of the world’s great watch collections. Not seen in public for almost 20 years, it is offered here at auction for the first time since 2002 when it achieved a world record price for a German-made pocket watch. Collectors and those who appreciate the very best in watchmaking are once again afforded the unique opportunity to possess a watchmaking legend.
Walter Prendel, born in Groitzsch, Saxony, was a watchmaking prodigy. As a student, he attended the prestigious Deutsche Uhrmacherschule (German Watchmaking School) in Glashütte and studied under the master watchmaker Alfred Helwig, professor and technical director, who, in 1920 invented the flying tourbillon. The flying tourbillon has the same single driving force of a tourbillon but rather than being supported by a bridge or cock at both top and bottom, it is cantilevered, being only supported from one side, hence the designation "flying".
Walter Prendel was one of only four students ever to graduate the Deutsche Uhrmacherschule in Glashütte with honours. Between 1927 and 1928, he constructed the present watch, its unique feature being the balance inclined at an angle of 30 degrees. Prendel states that this was (as far as he was aware) unique in a watch although the famous American watchmaker Albert Potter had constructed a carriage clock with inclined tourbillon around 1860. It is possible that Prendel had known about Potter’s clock, setting himself the challenge of using the invention in a watch. Prendel emigrated to the United States in 1929 and became Technical Director of Engineering for the Waltham Watch Co. until 1966.
In July 1949, a technical description of his remarkable tourbillon watch was given by Walter Prendel himself. It is reproduced here below courtesy of the NAWCC’s Bulletin:
“The original tourbillon, an invention of the great French watchmaker Breguet to overcome position errors, revolves its carriage once a minute. My tourbillon has a revolution cycle of six minutes. A unique feature is the inclined balance staff, which deviates 30 degrees from being upright. This design has been chosen because of a tourbillon going fast in large motions. The flat positions therefore are eliminated, and the cut rims of the balance do not have to be thinner in order to utilize centrifugal force to slow down large arcs. A revolution of six minutes has been chosen to take care of another tendency of the one minute tourbillon. It is the greater strain and wear on the escape teeth and stones. Not only the momentum of a light escape wheel, but that of the whole tourbillon carriage has to be stopped at each beat of the balance. A six minute revolution with 1800 little steps instead of only 300 eases up this process considerably, if the steel cage is made in the customary light manner. The tourbillon carriage arbour carries a third pinion which engages the centre wheel. The fourth wheel revolves in the carriage, in gear with the stationary third wheel. Another ordinary third wheel drives a loose fourth pinion with the second hand. The connection between a small fourth wheel in the carriage and the balance is made over an escape wheel which is 15 degrees out of upright and a pallet with a 23 degree slant of its arbour. This procedure is quite unorthodox. The one escape wheel pivot will be pressed lightly against its endstone. The escape teeth with move in a curve over the pallet stones while the jewel pin has in addition to its radial action, a slight up and down motion in the fork. Anyone who doubts the workability of this arrangement would be surprised to see the fine steady motions of this watch. There are two mainspring barrels, each one can be wound six turns. Only four turns altogether are utilized by means of stopwork. The winding indicator is of the differential type. Its transmission to the dial is done through a pierced barrel arbour.
Ordinarily, tourbillon carriages can be made of carbon steel which already has a mellow spring temper. In this case, soft steel was used which was heat treated later, after tapping was done and the seats for six sets of jewel settings were turned at different angles. Balance pallet and escape wheel are in poise, even the whole carriage may be considered to be in poise, as far as this can be done on a rather involved system of moving parts”.