Franck Muller wristwatch, ref. 6850 QPE, Sold in August 2016 — view 1 of 2
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Wristwatches · Wristwatch

Franck Muller wristwatch, ref. 6850 QPE, Sold in August 2016

DocumentedDocumented from an auction catalogue; attribution as stated by the auction house.
Maker / attribution
Franck Muller (brand / maker)
Date
Sold in August 2016
Country of origin
Switzerland
Object type
Wristwatch
Materials / technique
18k white gold
Dimensions
47 X 34 mm. ; weight 108 gr.
Lot
Lot 390-63
Credit line
Auction lot record: LOT 63
Catalogue title (original)
FRANCK MULLER, SWITZERLAND, REF. 6850 QPE, WHITE GOLD PERPETUAL CALENDAR RETROGRADE, 18K WHITE GOLD

View the source record (auction lot) ↗

Record summary

Catalogued by Antiquorum auction archive, Geneva (lot Lot 390-63), this is a wristwatch by Franck Muller, made in Switzerland, dated Sold in August 2016. The Atlas places it in the Contemporary Horology period (2010 – Present) of its Wristwatches collection. Materials and techniques recorded by the source: 18k white gold. Recorded dimensions: 47 X 34 mm. ; weight 108 gr. The record is illustrated with 2 photographs.

Assembled from the source record's structured fields. Dates and attributions are given as the source states them; where a field is missing the Atlas leaves it blank rather than estimating.

Catalogue description

Antiquorum catalogue description

A very fine and rare, 18k white gold, self winding tonneau-shaped, curved astronomic wristwatch with oval-shaped pushers, chronograph, perpetual calendar with retrograde month indication and moon phases.s.

Lot specifications (Antiquorum)

Caliber: 1188MC, 37 jewels; Case No.: 165; Signature: Dial, case and movement; Accessories: Accompanied by the original box and certificate

Historical context

Contemporary Horology (2010 – Present)

Silicon components, connected watches, optical-lattice research clocks and a thriving independent scene.

Smartwatches became the world's best-selling watches, while mechanical watchmaking focuses on craft, innovation (silicon components, new escapements) and independent makers.

Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Mechanical Renaissance

Atlas type guide

Calendar, moon-phase and perpetual calendar watches

Calendar complications range from a simple date to the perpetual calendar, which automatically allows for months of different lengths and leap years until 2100. Pocket watches with perpetual calendars were made in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries; Patek Philippe made the first perpetual calendar wristwatch in 1925, and series production followed in 1941. The annual calendar (Patek Philippe, 1996) needs correction only once a year.

Moon-phase displays use a disc with two moons and 59 teeth advanced daily, approximating the 29.5-day lunation; more precise trains reduce the error to one day in over a century.

What to look for

  • Apertures or subsidiary dials for day, date, month and leap year.
  • Moon disc under a 'bosom' shaped aperture.
  • Recessed correctors on the case band for setting the calendar.

Dating clues

  • Triple-date wristwatches: popular c. 1940–1955.
  • Perpetual calendar wristwatches: from 1925 (unique) and 1941 (series).

General guidance written by the Atlas editors about this kind of object. It is not a statement about this particular piece; for that, rely on the source record above and on physical examination.

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