Le Phare Minute-Repeating Triple Calendar Chronograph
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
circa 1910
This Le Phare pocket watch, created by C. Barbezat-Baillot in Locle, Switzerland, is a complex timepiece designed for the Russian market and retailed by N.N. Boutte.
Dating to approximately 1910, the watch features a large, four-body, hunting-style pink gold case measuring 57.5 mm in diameter. The engine-turned exterior is complemented by a white enamel dial with Roman numerals and a multi-functional layout including a triple-date calendar, chronograph, and moon phase display. The movement is a 20-ligne frosted gilt caliber, fitted with 19 jewels and a minute-repeater mechanism controlled by a push-button on the case band.
Technical attributes include a straight-line lever escapement, cut bimetallic compensation balance, and a centrifugal governor. The hinged gold cuvette displays engraved prize medals and information regarding the watch's technical specifications, with a glazed cover allowing for observation of the movement mechanics.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Technical characteristics
- Type
- Minute-repeating triple calendar chronograph
- Maker
- Le Phare (C. Barbezat-Baillot, Locle)
- Diameter
- 57.5 mm
- Retailer
- N.N. Boutte
- Case number
- 73699
- Jewel count
- 19
- Case material
- 14K (56 Zolotniks) pink gold
- Place recorded
- Switzerland
- Movement caliber
- 20 lignes
- Maker / attribution
- Le Phare (C. Barbezat-Baillot)
Design
- Visible features
- • White enamel dial with Cyrillic calendar displays. • Hunting case style with hinged cover. • Push-button on the side band for the minute repeater. • Gilt Louis XV style hour and minute hands.
- Condition and Attribution
- The auction description reports the watch as being in 'Very good' condition for the dial and 'Good' condition for the case and movement. The source identifies the watch as being intended for the Russian market and produced by the firm of C. Barbezat-Baillot, operating under the name Le Phare, around 1910. The case is numbered, and the cuvette is specifically signed by Le Phare to confirm its attribution.
- Case and Dial Construction
- The watch is housed in a four-body, hunting-style case of the 'bassine et filets' design. The exterior is decorated with engine-turning and finished with polished borders. The internal structure includes a hinged gold cuvette that serves as a canvas for technical details and marks representing prize medals awarded to the maker. A glazed, gold-rimmed cover is provided to allow visual access to the movement. The white enamel dial features radial Roman numerals and an outer minute track, supplemented by fifths-of-a-second divisions to support the chronograph function. Subsidiary dials track the seconds and date, while additional apertures are provided for the day of the week, the month in Cyrillic, and the lunar cycle. The time is displayed using gilt Louis XV style hands.
- Movement and Complications
- The 20-ligne movement is finished in frosted gilt and utilizes 19 jewels. It operates using a straight-line lever escapement and includes a cut bimetallic compensation balance, paired with a blued steel Breguet balance spring for rate adjustment. An index regulator manages the timing. The complex repeating mechanism is built to chime on gongs, which are activated via a push-button located on the case band. A centrifugal governor regulates the speed of the repeater striking. Additionally, the watch incorporates chronograph functionality and a triple-date calendar system.
Identification
- Serial number
- 73699
- Source note
- Facts transcribed from the linked source listing or collection record. Attribution and specifications are source-reported and have not been independently authenticated.
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.
Research required
- Research required: The auction house reports that an overhaul is recommended.
- Research required: The specific retail arrangement with N.N. Boutte is based on the source's assertion.