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Lot Essay
According to the records of Audemars Piguet, the movement of the present watch was sold to Sir John Bennett Ltd. in 1910.
Sir John Bennett Ltd. was founded by John Bennett, born in 1814. Bennett was a regular supplier to the English Royal Family and one of England's first watchmakers to support mass production. To satisfy the strong demand for high quality watches, he often bought best quality Swiss movements which his company then cased and retailed.
The present watch is a wonderful example for such a watch, fitted with an Audemars Piguet ébauche, the typical off-white dial made by Willis and massive case stamped FT for Fred Thoms.
Frederick Willis and Fred Thoms are renowned for their high quality dials and cases which they supplied to the best English watchmakers for their most prestigious pieces.
An 18K gold hunter case grande and petite sonnerie, minute repeating, perpetual calendar chronograph watch signed Sir John Bennett, London, with movement no. 12835 by Audemars Piguet, is illustrated in Audemars Piguet by Gisbert L. Brunner, Christian Pfeiffer-Belli, Martin K. Wehrli, 2nd edition, p. 161.
Sir John Bennett Ltd. was founded by John Bennett, born in 1814. Bennett was a regular supplier to the English Royal Family and one of England's first watchmakers to support mass production. To satisfy the strong demand for high quality watches, he often bought best quality Swiss movements which his company then cased and retailed.
The present watch is a wonderful example for such a watch, fitted with an Audemars Piguet ébauche, the typical off-white dial made by Willis and massive case stamped FT for Fred Thoms.
Frederick Willis and Fred Thoms are renowned for their high quality dials and cases which they supplied to the best English watchmakers for their most prestigious pieces.
An 18K gold hunter case grande and petite sonnerie, minute repeating, perpetual calendar chronograph watch signed Sir John Bennett, London, with movement no. 12835 by Audemars Piguet, is illustrated in Audemars Piguet by Gisbert L. Brunner, Christian Pfeiffer-Belli, Martin K. Wehrli, 2nd edition, p. 161.