HARWOOD. A 14K WHITE GOLD SELF-WINDING WRISTWATCH WITH UNUSUAL SETTING MECHANISM

SIGNED HARWOOD SELF-WINDING WATCH CO, LTD, CIRCA 1930

Details

HARWOOD. A 14K WHITE GOLD SELF-WINDING WRISTWATCH WITH UNUSUAL SETTING MECHANISM
signed harwood self-winding watch co, ltd, circa 1930
With nickel-finished lever movement, 15 jewels, bi-metallic compensation balance, nickel-finished rotor, the silvered engine-turned dial with Breguet numerals, blued steel moon-style hands, the tonneau-shaped case with coin-edged rotating bezel used for time setting, foliate engraved design to remainder of case and band, snap on back, dial and movement signed.
30 mm diam.

Lot Essay

The concept of the montre perpetuelle was made a reality by Abraham Louis Perrelt (1726-1826) and Abraham Louis Breguet (1747-1823). In 1924, John Harwood (1893-1965) of England patented his own self-winding system which ultimately opened the way for the development and universal acceptance of automatic wristwatches. Harwood's idea introduced a new means of transmitting the swinging weight's impulse to the winding wheels inside the case. He also developed a system in which the setting stem was replaced by a rotating bezel. He did this in order to reduce dust allowed in to the case.