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拍品专文
Consigned by an important private collector, this very high quality and impressively large complicated watch is preserved in superb condition, the crisp, heavy pink gold case showing almost no signs of wear.
A distinctive and unusual aspect of the present watch is the digital calendar whereby the date, days of the week and the months are displayed in windows rather than the typical subsidiary dial display seen on most watches of the period. This is a rare feature seldom found in 19th century watches, it was not until the 1920's that this form of calendar became popular, a similar system in linear single-window form was adopted by Patek Philippe and eventually became known as the “American calendar”.
The present watch was originally sold by the famous German retailer Dürrstein & Co. of Dresden whose owner Johannes Dürrstein founded the "Uhrenfabrik Union" watch manufacture in 1893. The company was renowned for selling watches of the very highest quality and supplied complicated watches upon request. Many of the complicated watches sold by Dürrstein had movements supplied by Audemars Piguet and occasionally other Swiss makers depending on the nature of the piece. The very high-grade beautifully finished movement of the present watch appears to be unsigned, however, the back of the dial is scratch signed “A D Nicolet, Ponts, 1896”. It is therefore almost certain that the maker is Armand Nicolet of Ponts de Martel in the Swiss Canton of Neuchatel. Nicolet was born in 1871 and died in 1944. He specialized in the production of complicated watches and mainly worked for Mathey Tissot.
Johannes Dürrstein started his career in watchmaking after an apprenticeship at the wholesaler Ludwig & Fries, working as a travelling salesman for a Swiss watchmaker. In 1874, he decided to set up his own business, founding the watch wholesaler Dürrstein & Compagnie in Glashütte together with his brother Friedrich. With his experience as a watch wholesaler and his flair for sales, Dürrstein was in a perfect position to start producing his own watches. To demonstrate his watchmaking skills, he hired the master watchmakers Julius Bergter and Martin Simmchen, both highly talented and reputed artists.
On 1 January 1893, "Uhrenfabrik Union" was founded, with the aim of producing only the best, finest and most accurate watches. Union's watches were of highest quality and on special request could be supplied with the most complicated of mechanisms including pocket chronometers, tourbillons and perpetual calendars and with a rating certificate from the Hamburg Observatory. To satisfy their clients' strong demand, Dürrstein often bought best quality Swiss movements which were then finished, cased and sold under his or Union's name. The trademark of a stylized temple was introduced in 1896.
This substantial and very appealing pink gold minute repeating calendar chronograph combines technical excellence, size and aesthetics - the perfect vintage watch to display on a desk and for those who appreciate mechanical excellence.
A distinctive and unusual aspect of the present watch is the digital calendar whereby the date, days of the week and the months are displayed in windows rather than the typical subsidiary dial display seen on most watches of the period. This is a rare feature seldom found in 19th century watches, it was not until the 1920's that this form of calendar became popular, a similar system in linear single-window form was adopted by Patek Philippe and eventually became known as the “American calendar”.
The present watch was originally sold by the famous German retailer Dürrstein & Co. of Dresden whose owner Johannes Dürrstein founded the "Uhrenfabrik Union" watch manufacture in 1893. The company was renowned for selling watches of the very highest quality and supplied complicated watches upon request. Many of the complicated watches sold by Dürrstein had movements supplied by Audemars Piguet and occasionally other Swiss makers depending on the nature of the piece. The very high-grade beautifully finished movement of the present watch appears to be unsigned, however, the back of the dial is scratch signed “A D Nicolet, Ponts, 1896”. It is therefore almost certain that the maker is Armand Nicolet of Ponts de Martel in the Swiss Canton of Neuchatel. Nicolet was born in 1871 and died in 1944. He specialized in the production of complicated watches and mainly worked for Mathey Tissot.
Johannes Dürrstein started his career in watchmaking after an apprenticeship at the wholesaler Ludwig & Fries, working as a travelling salesman for a Swiss watchmaker. In 1874, he decided to set up his own business, founding the watch wholesaler Dürrstein & Compagnie in Glashütte together with his brother Friedrich. With his experience as a watch wholesaler and his flair for sales, Dürrstein was in a perfect position to start producing his own watches. To demonstrate his watchmaking skills, he hired the master watchmakers Julius Bergter and Martin Simmchen, both highly talented and reputed artists.
On 1 January 1893, "Uhrenfabrik Union" was founded, with the aim of producing only the best, finest and most accurate watches. Union's watches were of highest quality and on special request could be supplied with the most complicated of mechanisms including pocket chronometers, tourbillons and perpetual calendars and with a rating certificate from the Hamburg Observatory. To satisfy their clients' strong demand, Dürrstein often bought best quality Swiss movements which were then finished, cased and sold under his or Union's name. The trademark of a stylized temple was introduced in 1896.
This substantial and very appealing pink gold minute repeating calendar chronograph combines technical excellence, size and aesthetics - the perfect vintage watch to display on a desk and for those who appreciate mechanical excellence.