| LOT 41 |
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| “Bone Watch”
Mikhail Semyonovitch Bronnikov. Made circa
1865.
Fine and extremely rare watch entirely made of bone.
Accompanied by the original carved bone chain, hook and
key. |
| C. Double-body, hinged back cover, polished, bezels with turned
ribs at the edges, a small circle in the center. Chain: single and
double links, carved from bone, 8 mm ring-links. D. Bone with Arabic numerals on circular cartouches, subsidiary seconds. Bone hands.
M. Entirely made of bone with pinned bone bridges, excluding the main-spring, balance-spring and pivots, with going barrel, cylinder
escapement with bone staff, plain bone three-arm balance, bone index regulator.
Back cover signed in Cyrillic. Diam. 50 mm. |
Estimate: 25,000 CHF - 30,000 CHF
Estimate: 16,000 EUR - 20,000 EUR
Estimate: 20,000 USD - 25,000 USD
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Grading system
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| The famous wooden watches by the Bronnikovs are very rare and bone watches are much rarer. Far fewer examples were made and even fewer
survive today.
Bronnikov
The Bronnikov family came from Vjatka, Russia, and specialized in the making of all-wood, and all-ivory watches. The first recorded member
of the family was Ivan Bronnikov (c. 1770 - 1860), a skillful joiner and turner. His son was Semyon Ivanovitch (1800 - 1875). Semyon had
seven sons, among them Mikhail Semyonovitch and Nicolai Semyonovitch, who continued his work, as did Mikhail's son Nicolai Mikhailovitch,
who was the last watchmaker in the family. Nicolai Mikhailovitch left Vjatka for Moscow in 1909 or 1910 and is said to have worked there for
the firm of Paul Buhre. Watches by the Bronnikovs are found in the Hermitage, the Moscow Clock Industry Research Institute, the Tbilisi
Museum of People's Art, the Physics and Math Salon of Dresden, in museums in Vjatka, Slobodskoi, Veliky Ustyug, Cherepovets, and in private
collections in Moscow, Angarsk, Zlatoust, and Irkutsk. Known signatures include "M.S. Bronnikov in Vjatka", "The Bronnikov Brothers in
Vjatka", and "N.M. Bronnikov in Vjatka".
Literature: "The Bronnikov Dynasty" by Theodore R. Crom, NWCC Bulletin Vol. 43/6 No. 335, December 2001.
The present lot was previously sold by Antiquorum Hong Kong, on June 9, 2001, lot 329. |
Important Collectors' Wristwatches, Pocket Watches & Clocks
16-10-2005 |
Sold including buyer's premium:
34,500 CHF |
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