George Daniels, Philippe Dufour, Svend Andersen, Daniel Roth or Roger Dubuis are names of pioneers who paved the way for independent watchmakers. Derek Pratt was a watchmaker of incredible talent who remained less known than the ones mentioned previously as he never made a watch under his own name, his research and focus were predominately on the mechanics on the, movement side, improving escapement and remontoire architecture to enhance chronometry, which he implemented in pocket watches made for the newly revived Urban Jürgensen, culminating in his opus magnum the oval shaped detent escapement tourbillon with remontoire pocketwatch.

Pratt nevertheless started working on miniaturising his Reuleaux triangle remontoire, found in his pocket watches, to wristwatch format. In 2008 he approached Steward Lesemann, an American watchmaker established in Switzerland to work together on developing this movement. The concept was to have a movement with suspended twin barrels, with a sort of “motor barrel” configuration. These barrels would drive the Reuleaux triangle one-second remontoire positioned coaxially with the escape wheel. The first prototype was finalised in 2009 right before Pratt passed away.

Lesemann nevertheless continued working on the movement at which point the third prototype was presented at the Derek Pratt Memorial Seminar held by the British Horological Institute in 2011. In 2014, Luca Soprana took over the project with the blessing of Derek Pratt’s family. He embarked on a redesign of the movement. The redesign resulted in an extraordinary architectural and symmetrical movement, the gear train being concealed underneath the dial, the focus is on the two barrels on the left and, the remontoir and balance are placed on the right hand side.

To the best of our knowledge only 5 (plus the present prototype) pieces of the Derek Pratt Remontoir d’Égalité were ever made upon special order of UAE-based retailer Perpétuel Gallery.

We are delighted not only to offer the first ever Pratt wristwatch to appear in an international auction room but the prototype N°00 of this seminal piece.

Please note that Luca Soprana generously offers a complimentary servicing of the watch within 6 months of purchase.