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The Encyclopedia of Horology

Pocket watch · Perpetual calendar pocket watch

Ls. Audemars Savonnette Perpetual Calendar Pocket Watch

Partially verified

This Ls. Audemars pocket watch, dating from around 1900, is a savonnette (hunter-style) timepiece featuring a perpetual calendar complication. The watch is constructed in gold, weighing 138 grams, and measures 53.8 mm in diameter with a thickness of 16.2 mm. It features a "half tub à goutte" case with a guilloché base and lid. The enamel dial presents Roman numerals, sub-dials for date and month, and an enamel moon phase disk with a gold moon. Powering the watch is a nickel-plated nickel silver bridge-caliber movement featuring a lever escapement, wolf tooth ratchet wheel, and Breguet balance spring. The watch is signed "Ls. Audemars Brassus (Suisse)" on both the dust cover and the movement. The auction description notes that the timepiece is currently in running condition.

Front view of the Ls. Audemars perpetual calendar pocket watch with hunter-style lid open to reveal the calendar complications.
Front view of the Ls. Audemars perpetual calendar pocket watch with hunter-style lid open to reveal the calendar complications. — Loerke Kunstauktionen AG (via Invaluable). Rights pending — permission not yet requested. Original source

Catalogue identity

Source
www.invaluable.com
Category
Pocket watch · Perpetual calendar pocket watch
Maker / attribution
Ls. Audemars
Reference
Not recorded
Catalogue / lot identifier
310
Source-reported date
around 1900
Source-reported place
Switzerland
Source-reported serial
11265

Source-reported attribution and specifications are not independent authentication. A listing does not establish present ownership, current display, availability or permission to reproduce.

Object description

Case and Dial Design

The watch is housed in a savonnette case described as a "half tub à goutte" with two bulges, featuring guilloché ornamentation on the base and the lid. The watch measures 53.8 mm in diameter and 16.2 mm in height.

The dial is made of enamel and features Roman numerals for the hours. It includes specific displays for seconds, date, and month, alongside an enameled moon phase disk incorporating a gold moon. The hour and minute hands are designed in the English pear style and are made of gold, while the secondary hands for the calendar functions are crafted from blued steel.

Evidence for this section
  • “Half tub "à goutte" with two bulges, base and lid guilloched”
  • “Dial: Enamel with Roman numerals, dials for seconds, date and month data are applied, enameled moon disk with gold moon.”
  • “Hands: English pears made of gold, second hand and month date hand made of blued steel.”

Movement and Mechanical Details

The interior movement is a nickel-plated nickel silver bridge caliber. It incorporates a lever escapement, a counterweight anchor, a balanced balance, and a Breguet balance spring.

Additional mechanical details include gold wheels and a wolf tooth ratchet wheel. The watch utilizes a bow winding system and a lever-based hand-setting mechanism, all enclosed by a dust cover engraved with the serial number 11265 and the maker's signature.

Evidence for this section
  • “Movement: Bridge caliber, nickel-plated nickel silver, lever escapement, counterweight anchor, balanced balance, Breguet balance spring, gold wheels, wolf tooth ratchet wheel, bow winding, hand setting with lever, signed: Ls. Audemars Brassus (Suisse).”

Signatures and Reported Condition

The movement and the dust cover are signed "Ls. Audemars Brassus (Suisse)". The case bears multiple marks, including a Russian gold stamp featuring a hammer and sickle, a Swiss 18K gold stamp, an oval "M.F." mark, and an engraved coat of arms.

Regarding condition, the auction description references an expertise provided by Prof. Curtit in 1986, which noted the piece was in perfect functional and preserved condition. The current auction report states that the clock is currently running and has remained in a display case since the time of the previous expertise.

Evidence for this section
  • “dust cover engraved: "No. 11265 Ls. Audemars Brassus (Suisse)”
  • “In 1986, Prof. Curtit wrote in his expertise: "Piece in perfect functional and preserved condition." The clock is running.”

Open research questions

  • What is the significance of the 'M.F.' mark found within the watch case?
  • To whom does the unidentified coat of arms engraved on the watch belong?

Source evidence

Recorded claims and source quotations for Ls. Audemars Savonnette Perpetual Calendar Pocket Watch
FieldSource-reported valueSource quotation
MakerLs. Audemars“Ls. Audemars, Brassus”
Serial Number11265“No. 11265”
Dimensions53.8 mm diameter, 16.2 mm height“D: 53.8 mm, H: 16.2 mm”
Material18K gold“1 Swiss 18K gold stamp”
Movement TypeBridge caliber, nickel-plated nickel silver“Bridge caliber, nickel-plated nickel silver”
EscapementLever escapement“lever escapement”
Datearound 1900“around 1900”
Winding mechanismBow winding“bow winding”

Visible details

  • Enamel dial with multiple perpetual calendar indicators and moon phase
  • Gold-toned English pear-style hour and minute hands
  • Engine-turned guilloché finish on the exterior case
  • Movement features wolf tooth gearing on the ratchet wheel

Research qualifications

  • The exact origin of the engraved coat of arms remains unknown
  • The presence of a Russian hammer and sickle gold stamp alongside an 18K Swiss stamp requires verification regarding its historical context

Photograph identity and source facts were screened before import; rights clearance remains pending.

Consulted source

RARE GOLDEN AUDEMARS SAVONNETTE POCKET WATCH WITH PERPETUAL CALENDAR

Reviewed 2026-10-26 · Record da171ab8f2

Terms in this record

Glossary explanations for terms named in this object’s record.

Other perpetual calendar pocket watch records