Description
A late 19th Century Danish five minute repeating lever by Jules Jurgensen with patent hand set in a gold full hunter case. High quality keyless nickelled bar movement with going barrel. Plain cock with polished steel regulator, compensation balance with blue steel overcoil hairspring. Club foot lever escapement, escape and lever pivots with endstones in gold settings. Slide five minute repeating on two polished steel gongs, repeating train and hammers fully jewelled. Signed white enamel dial with subsidiary seconds, Roman numerals, blue steel Breguet hands. Plain 18 carat full hunter case, gold slide in the band. Glazed hinged cuvette, dedication inside the back cover dated June1878. Gold bow for Jurgensen’s patent hand set.
A fine wearable watch in excellent overall condition. Five minute repeaters are uncommon despite them being perhaps more practical than a minute repeater. This example strikes the hours on one gong and one stroke for every five minutes on the other. Jrugensen's patent, 62,107 was taken out on January 15 -1867. The ingenious system allows the hands to be set by simply moving the bow forward towards the dial as far as possible allowing the crown to set the hands. The dedication on the inside of the back cover is for the presentation of the watch to William Rhinelander Stewart in memory of William Christopher Rhinelander. The Rhinelander family have been prominent members of American Society since the late 17th Century. In 1867 William Christopher Rhinelander was listed as the second wealthiest man in New York, the wealthiest being William B. Astor. William Rhindlander Stewart's son, also named William Rhindlander Stewart, was known as the "Best-Dressed Man in New York City". His daughter became the Princess of Braganza having married into the Portuguese Royal family.
