About this lot

Description

circa 1920, the white dial, 42mm diameter, with gold coloured Arabic numerals each within a green guilloché enamelled disc and copper coloured fretwork hands, the outer with gold and silver coloured floral decoration and visible balance, mechanical crown wind 8 day movement with mainspring barrel across the full width of the movement, pumpkin shaped winder and hand setting button at 11 o'clock, case, 53mm diameter, front bezel with foliate engraving over a textured ground, verso hinged at 6 o'clock, matching bezel, the centre with a repoussé garden scene featuring a lady playing a pipe and a seated cherub listening, inner and case rim with Swiss grouse mark for 800/1000 standard silver, Geneva, and stamped 0.800Footnote: In 1889, Arthur Graizely bought the patent for a watch movement capable of running for 15 days without winding, founded the firm Graizley Frères and started production.In fact, the movement only ran for about 7 days, and not 15, and so was given the name 'Hebdomas' (pronounced Heb-Doh-Mas) from the Latin meaning the number 7, a week, 7 days or the 7th day.The success of the Hebdomas watches in the 1900s was unbelievable and several other firms made watches in a similar style, each with the distinctive exposed balance at the bottom of the dial. They are easily spotted by opening the case back - the mainspring barrel covers the full width of the watch, with the movement out of sight underneath.

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