Lot 151

Friedrich Hübner

An extremely rare, one-handed, astronomical Bremen verge pocket watch with full calendar and moon phase

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The silver dial is elaborately engraved with leaf tendrils. The upper half has an articulated silver disc with concentric calendar indications framed by an outer date ring, moving inwards the outer circle with the names of the months is followed by a circle with their zodiac signs, another for their symbols and concludes with the lengths of the months in the centre. On the right sits an opening for the phase of the moon and its age; on the left a fan-shaped window displays the days of the week and their planets. The lower half of the dial has an hour dial with engraved Roman numerals and exquisite floral engraving in the centre.
The signature of watchmaker Friedrich Hübner in Bremen sits under the floral ornamentation of the balance cock and indicates a modernization in the late 17th century.

Friedrich Hübner was active in the first half of the 17th century and is considered one of the earliest makers in Bremen. He died on October 8, 1648 – two weeks before the Peace of Westphalia signaled the end of the Thirty Year’s War. Some other known pieces made in his workshop are for example a rock crystal horizontal clock, an oval, silver pendant watch and rock crystal crucifix pendant watch, which was sold during our 102nd auction in June 2020 for EUR 20,000 (lot 249).