Leroy. An extremely fine, small and possibly unique minute repeating wristwatch with bracelet

SIGNED L. LEROY & CIE., 7 BD DE LA MADELEINE, PARIS, CIRCA 1905

細節

Leroy. An extremely fine, small and possibly unique minute repeating wristwatch with bracelet
Signed L. Leroy & Cie., 7 Bd de la Madeleine, Paris, circa 1905
Cal. 9''' gilt-finished jewelled lever movement, bimetallic compensation balance, minute repeating on two polished steel hammers onto a gong, gold cuvette, the engine-turned gilt dial with Arabic numerals on blank cartouches, blued steel moon-style hands, in circular case with enlarged bezel, loose crown, wire lugs, snap on back, repeating slide in the band, together with an Albion 9K gold mesh bracelet, case stamped, cuvette and movement signed
27 mm. diam.

拍品專文

It is thought that the present watch and its 9''' movement is the earliest and smallest example of a minute repeating wristwatch known to date. It was made by the renowned Léon Leroy, also famous for the development of the first self-winding wristwatch made around 1920.

The repeating mechanism was invented by the English watchmaker Daniel Quare between 1680 and 1686. The aim was to indicate the time even in the dark by hammers striking onto bells or gongs.