Lot 6

Peder Hansen Kiöbenhaven

A rare precision pocket watch with double-wheel duplex escapement of a renowned German/Danish scientist and watchmaker

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Peter Andreas Hansen was the only son from gold- and silversmith Nicolay Hansen's (1755–1835) first marriage in Tondern. Peter Andreas showed variety of skills and a great interest in physics at an early age. Maths came easy to him as well as learning foreign languages and playing musical instruments. He would have loved continuing his education at secondary school but the early death of his mother Anna Henriette (1760–1808) prevented this.
Hansen trained as a watchmaker Flensburg and in 1819 he set himself up as a watchmaker in Tondern. The local General practitioner Peter Dircks recognised Hansen's talents and recommended him to his friend Heinrich Christian Schumacher for a scientific career. Hansen went to Copenhagen and in 1821 began working with Schumacher on the Danish survey in Holstein, which Schumacher was responsible for. In 1822 Hansen obtained a position at Schumacher's observatory at Altona and published his first articles in Schumacher's new publication "Astronomische Nachrichten" in 1823. When Johann Franz Encke was called to Berlin and his position at the Gotha observatory became vacant, Hansen was recommended to replace him by Schumacher, Olbers and Gauß and he succeeded Johann Franz Encke as director of the Seeberg observatory near Gotha in 1825. At the time Gotha was considered one of the most important sites of astronomical research. Hansen's work was varied and prolific. He died on March 28, 1874 in Gotha.