Independents

Walter Prendel's 6-minute tourbillon>>>

 

Hi,

The following images and information are from Antiquorum's Geneva auction of April 2002. The watch sold for SFr 1.2 million.

"LOT 604
by "Important collector's watches, wristwatches and clocks and Horological Tool"
Walter Prendel, Gro?tzsch I/SA, started 1927, finished 1928. Exceptional and unique large double-barrel, six-minute flying tourbillon regulator with inclined balance and 30-hour winding indicator pocket chronometer."

C. 900 silver with gold hinges and lips, ?vari?e?, ?grande gouge?, with stepped bezels, silver hinged glazed cuvette, No. 1928 made by Karl Richter of Glash?tte. D. White enamel, radial Roman numerals, outer minute ring, subsidiary sunk seconds at 3 o?clock, sunk up-and-down indicator symmetrically at 9 o?clock. Blued steel ?spade? hands. M. 47.2 mm. (21???), 13 mm. thick, nickel, half plate, Helwig two barrel system, each with six turns of which only four are utilized by means of a stop work, going train with unusual, almost triangular, involute teeth, 23 jewels, 6-minute flying tourbillon driven from the center wheel, extremely delicate Helwig-type carriage built around the third wheel pinion carrying the fourth wheel and the lateral lever escapement with gold calibrated pallet fork, having a special poising pin protruding between the lever and the escape wheel, convex entry pallet, concave exit pallet to equalize both lifts, Guillaume anibal-brass, cut-bimetallic, 30? inclined, compensation balance with eight gold temperature adjustment screws and four gold quarter screws, free-sprung blued special steel alloy balance spring with outer terminal curve, the pallet fork is inclined 23? and the escape wheel 15?, Stanley type (English patent No. 5062 of March 21, 1891) differential type winding indicator with transmission to the dial through pierced barrel arbor, pin-set. Signed on dial and movement, case signed by the casemaker. Diam. 60.6 mm., 18 mm. thick (with crystal)."

Walter Prendel was a student of the famed German watchmaker and teacher/director Alfred Helwig and was only one of four students to ever graduate the Deutches Uhrmacherschule in Glashutte with honors.

Walter Prendel emigrated to the US and became Technical Director of Engineering for the Waltham Watch Co. until his death in 1966.

The following article is posted with permission from the NAWCC's Bulletin, July 1949, Vol. III, No. 9, pgs. 636-637 and was written by R. Walter Prendel. Thanks!

Cheers,

Curtis

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