LeCoultre & Cie., Le Sentier, Lepine Watch for the French Market, No. 124185, ca. 1890s.

A rare high grade LeCoultre & Cie., Le Sentier (Vallée de Joux, Switzerland) manufactured Lepine pocket watch for the French Market. Manufactured ca. 1890s.

LeCoultre & Cie., later in 1937 Jaeger-LeCoultre, is one of Switzerland’s foremost manufacture. It supplied movements to Cartier, Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin and Audemars Piguet. Steiger, the dial maker of this watch, was one of Switzerland’s most coveted dial-makers of the 19th and early 20th centuries. LeCoultre’s highest-grade watches were fitted with Steiger dials.

The present watch was manufactured for a private label jewelry store in France. Proving this are the French speed indications on the balance cock (Avance, Retard), and the lack of inscribed jewel-count, this latter being a particular North American requirement for Swiss imports. The watch is signed LeCoultre & Co. underneath the mainspring bridge.

Movement Highlights:

Movement: Highest quality seven-bridge rhodium plated pin-set movement. Slender elegant and winding wheel-train bridges, decorated with broad Côtes de Genève. Main plate finished with smooth satin snailing, and wheel recesses with pearling. All screws are black mirror polished and beveled throughout.

Balance cock: Micrometric swan’s neck regulator.

Escapement: In-line Swiss level escapement. Highly finished beveled pallet lever. Breguet terminal curve blued steel hairspring. Double roller impulse table with highest quality impulse jewel-pin. Capped escape wheel jewel with superbly finished mirror polished jewel-cap retainer. Very smooth, quiet and delicate escapement noise.

Winding Ratchet: Snailing on top faces of wheels. Wolf-teeth winding gear, with highly beveled and polished winding teeth.

Jewels: 18 blood-red ruby jewels.

Dial: Original Steiger signed frosted solid silver dial. Machine pressed and turned. Arabic recessed-set enameled numerals, with stamped sub-seconds. Central field with sun-ray engraved waves, minute ring with turned and milled minute markers. Shows signs of age. Name of French retailer is present, but illegible.

Coggiola Watch Roma Wristwatch Case, Buckle & Restoration Work:

The solid brass case reacts to the owner’s lifestyle, weather and temperature. Natural deep patina starts forming on the surface from the moment the case is manufactured.

Hand manufactured case and parts in Rome, Italy:

Case: Solid brass, 2 part bezel and lugs. Crown, stem, two piece brass-steel time setting pusher, two stainless steel screws.

Hands: Handmade dauphine hands, hand-blued.

Buckle: Brass and stainless steel 7-piece hand-made buckle.

Crystal: Mineral crystals, attached by natural shellac to case.

Case dimensions:

Diameter, without crown: 44mm

Lug to lug: 49mm

Height, including crystal: 13.6mm

Strap: 18mm width. Length: Normal. ColaReb Roma, Italy. Hand-made leather strap made in Rome.

Restoration work: Removal of heavy black tarnish throughout movement. Minimal restoration work was required for this watch. Servicing of movement: cleaning, new oils, timing.

Particularities when handling this watch: The setting and winding of the watch should be done with the watch off the wrist. It keeps excellent time to within the minute. Should be wound once a day, in the morning or in the evening.

Case care instructions: To clean the case use cotton swab in white (distilled) vinegar to moisten the case. Then gently use a cloth to restore shine to the brass. Do not use abrasives to clean the case. The watch is not water proof.

Price: Sold. Contact: Info@CoggiolaWatch.Com

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