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Louis Richard
"Triple Bridge Tourbillon"
An impressive yellow gold hunter cased triple bridge tourbillon pocket watch
Estimate
CHF30,000–60,000
€32,600–65,100
$38,000–76,100
Live 10 May, 2 PM Switzerland Time
Manufacturer
Louis Richard
Year
Circa 1870
Case No
9108 1136
Model Name
"Triple Bridge Tourbillon"
Material
18k yellow gold
Calibre
Manual
Dimensions
54.5mm diameter
Accessories
Fitted box
Full-Cataloguing
Good To Know:
- Tourbillon pocket watch with a three-bridge construction
- Louis JeanRichard is the father of the Swiss chronometer industry
Louis Jean Richard dit Bressel stands among the most consequential yet often overlooked figures of 19th-century Swiss watchmaking. Born in 1812 in Le Locle to Jean DanielRichard, he distinguished himself early as a technical pioneer, inventing in 1839 a constant-force escapement conceived for the highest standards of chronometric precision.
In 1841, Richard presented a chronometer fitted with his free constant escapement, an achievement that earned him a gold medal from the Société d’Émulation Patriotique of Neuchâtel—an accolade underscoring both the ingenuity and practical merit of his invention. Together with contemporaries such as Ulysse Nardin and Henri Grandjean, Richard played a formative role in establishing the Swiss marine chronometer industry, laying foundations for a tradition of precision that would define the region for generations.
The present tourbillon pocket watch is of exceptional horological interest. Its movement architecture reveals a striking affinity with the celebrated Girard-Perregaux three-bridge construction. Here, the regulating organ is displayed beneath a sequence of two elegantly shaped brass bridges, complemented by a third bridge executed in steel—an arresting interplay of materials that emphasizes both structure and symmetry.
The aesthetic ambition of the watch extends beyond its mechanical conception. The case is adorned with finely executed guilloché to the cover, demonstrating the refined decorative vocabulary of mid-19th-century Neuchâtel craftsmanship. The silver dial is lavishly engrave and highlighted in gold. It stands as a work of art in its own right, uniting ornamental virtuosity with legibility and balance.
- Tourbillon pocket watch with a three-bridge construction
- Louis JeanRichard is the father of the Swiss chronometer industry
Louis Jean Richard dit Bressel stands among the most consequential yet often overlooked figures of 19th-century Swiss watchmaking. Born in 1812 in Le Locle to Jean DanielRichard, he distinguished himself early as a technical pioneer, inventing in 1839 a constant-force escapement conceived for the highest standards of chronometric precision.
In 1841, Richard presented a chronometer fitted with his free constant escapement, an achievement that earned him a gold medal from the Société d’Émulation Patriotique of Neuchâtel—an accolade underscoring both the ingenuity and practical merit of his invention. Together with contemporaries such as Ulysse Nardin and Henri Grandjean, Richard played a formative role in establishing the Swiss marine chronometer industry, laying foundations for a tradition of precision that would define the region for generations.
The present tourbillon pocket watch is of exceptional horological interest. Its movement architecture reveals a striking affinity with the celebrated Girard-Perregaux three-bridge construction. Here, the regulating organ is displayed beneath a sequence of two elegantly shaped brass bridges, complemented by a third bridge executed in steel—an arresting interplay of materials that emphasizes both structure and symmetry.
The aesthetic ambition of the watch extends beyond its mechanical conception. The case is adorned with finely executed guilloché to the cover, demonstrating the refined decorative vocabulary of mid-19th-century Neuchâtel craftsmanship. The silver dial is lavishly engrave and highlighted in gold. It stands as a work of art in its own right, uniting ornamental virtuosity with legibility and balance.