S. Smith & Son

A yellow gold open face tourbillon keyless watch with enamel dial, Movement manufactured circa 1914 | 黃金陀飛輪懷錶，備琺琅錶盤，機芯約1914年製 S. Smith & Son LTD

S. Smith & Son LTD A yellow gold open face tourbillon keyless watch with enamel dial, Movement manufactured circa 1914 黃金陀飛輪懷錶，備琺琅錶盤，機芯約1914年製 Dial: enamel Calibre: mechanical, jewelled Movement number: 238-102 Case: 18k yellow gold, hinged case back Case number: 39'899 Size: 54 mm diameter Signed: dial and movement Accessories: noneS. Smtih & Son was founded by Samuel Smith in 1851 and along with Charles Frodsham and E. Dent, they represented the highest watchmaking quality of the United Kingdom during the 19th and 20th centuries. Besides regulating pocket watches and clocks, Smith was especially passionate in creating chronometers and highly complicated timepieces, such as No.309-2, a 77 mm massive minute repeating clockwatch split seconds chronograph with tri-colour dial which was sold by Sothebys in 2019. Smith was one of the major suppliers for high precision chronometers and marine clocks at that time. A large part of quality blank movements was supplied by Nicole Nielson & Co., a high-end movement workshop originating from Le Solliat, Vallee de Joux. Thanks to the excellent collaboration between Smith and Nielson, the highest level of Swiss craftmanship was incorporated in every Smith chronometer, such as the present watch. This fine Smith timepiece carries a Nicole Nielson tourbillon. Like most of tourbillon chronometers, it was aimed to participate in observatory trials. Approximately 30 tourbillon chronometers were sent to the National Physical Laboratory in Teddington, almost all of them archived above 80 marks, including this watch, which equates to “Especially good”. It is also worth mentioning that Smith tourbillon chronometer were using Fusee and Chain in their power transmission, so the present example is one of very few powered by a main-spring.