Lot 668

Girard & Comp., London, Case No. 26283, 52 mm, 114 g, circa 1870

A Swiss chronometer with rare spherical balance spring for the South American market. The movement of this watch is a precursor of Girard- Perregaux’ famous three-bridge movements.
Case: 18k gold, engine-turned, florally engraved rim, pendant and bow, engraved cartouche with monogram "AK" and duke's crown, gold dome with signature "Chronometer" and engraving of a globe, a book, an olive branch, a telescope and a caduceus. Dial: enamel, radial Roman hours, auxiliary seconds, signed, filigree stone-set hands. Movm.: bridge movement, keywind, frosted, gilt, pivoted detent escapement, bimetallic chronometer balance with 4 screws and 2 movable trapezoid weights, blued, spherical balance spring, chatoned diamond endstone on balance.
Girard & Cie.
The Swiss watchmaker Constantin Othenin Girard founded the company Girard & Cie. in 1852 in La Chaux-de Fonds. In 1956 he married Marie, the sister of renowned chronometer maker Henri Perregaux; in the same year Girard and his brother-in-law established the company Girard-Perregaux which evolved from Girard & Cie..
Around 1860 Constant Girard had a small department store in London, where he exported watches marked "Girard, London" to Peru and Chile from; the movement of these watches had been specially gilded.

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