DESCRIPTION:
EPW - Unsigned English, keyless going barrel one-minute tourbillon with lever escapement, mvt by Nicole, Nielsen and Co, type "Nielsen I" tourbillon under Reinhard Meis' system, 57mm, heavy 18K gold OF original case bearing London hallmarks for 1901, "F.T" marking in oval cameo for casemaker Frederick Thoms of Clerkenwell, glazed observation mvt cover, swivel pendant, white enamel SS dial, elegant blued poker hands with matching seconds-hand, SW-pin-set, fully capped lever escapement with sugar-tong counterpoise on rotating carriage, gilt mvt, s#4250. Gross weight of assembled watch 100.7 dwt (156.5 g). A beautiful example of this rare watch with a substantial in-hand presence. Reinhard Meis placed production of genuine English tourbillions (French: tourbillon) at only 100 or so in his brilliant book, "Das Tourbillon," noting that those lever tourbillons made by Nicole Nielsen and Co carried the pointed tooth escape wheel, while those made by Sidney Better carried the Swiss club-tooth escape wheel.
CONDITION:
Mvt: Running, excellent-plus cosmetic mvt condition overall, good gilt tone, main plate with some micro-fine to ultra-fine scratches, few pinpoint surface nicks near plate screws; dial with edge chips near 12:30 reaching the minute chapter between 3 and 4 minutes, small edge chips near 12 and near 9:30 outside the minute chapter, hls below seconds-register at 5:30 and 6:30; nearly mint hands; case shows very little wear, some fine scratches, mild soft ding toward upper-left perimeter of rear evident as small rippling of reflection; tight bow, crown shows hardly any wear; good glass crystals.
ESTIMATE:
$20000
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$30000
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