Chronographe Suisse - A gentleman's Swiss 18ct gold 'up and ...

Estimate

£750 - £850

Chronographe Suisse - A gentleman's Swiss 18ct gold 'up and down' circa 1950, the signed copper coloured dial, 30mm diameter, signed 'Breitling', with black Arabic numerals and blued hands, subsidiary running seconds at 6 o’clock and minute register at 12 o’clock, sweep chronograph seconds with inner dot minute track and outer timing and tachymeter tracks, unsigned and unnumbered 'Venus 170' 17 jewel crown wind mechanical movement hand scribed 'select watch co.' under a base metal cuvette numbered 505630, with start and stop/reset pushers above and below the crown, case, 35mm diameter, verso snap on, plain and polished, numbered 505728 with Swiss marks for 18ct gold in addition to Poinçon de Maître, Hammer Head, number 132 for Eric Monnier, to an aftermarket brown leather strap with pin buckle. Footnote: This watch has not been built from scratch by Breitling nor does it appear to be one of their 'own design' models. However, the Venus 170 movement in this example was used by Breitling in the 1940s. It was also commonly used in other ‘Chronographe Suisse’ models. Venus chronograph movements, including the 170, were lauded at the time as among the best ever produced. The 'up and down' configuration with the subsidiary dials placed at 12 and 6 o'clock is quite unusual and a feature of the Venus movement. The movement has been scribed, 'Select Watch Co'. They appear to be an American watch distribution company with no connection to the manufacturing of this timepiece.