Information need from H A Favre watchmaker

[sternerp]

Dear forum readers!

Recently i bought a pocket watch, the dial signed H. A. Favre. This watch has pivoted detent chronometer escapement. I searched information on internet, but I found very little. And it's a little frustrating me;-)
Just two pocket watches, one with similar chronometer escapement also, and one with very interesting movement (with thermometer).

H A Favre - Spring Detent Chronometer pocket watch - 18c gold - Men - 1880s

Rare Chronometer Spring-Detent men's pocket watch by H.A. Favre. The 18 karat solid gold case is very heavy. The three gold lids close well. The inner lid is signed by the maker and features the signature "Locle, Chronometer". A spring-detent movement like this was very hard to make, but it...

www.catawiki.com

https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2020/masterworks-of-time-abraham-louis-breguet-horologist-extraordinaire/h-a-favre-le-locle-a-rare-gold-hunting-cased-lever

Does anyone know anything about this watchmaker? When he did work?

I welcome any new information. Thanks! Peter

 

[mosesgodfrey]

Great find! Interesting helical spring on that first link. Also, is that a second signature or an odd size notation on the back of the dial below the sn? I read "19 [lignes] Savonet..." Strange that it is a Lepine. Is it 19L?

Anyway, to your question on H A Favre:
He is Henri-Auguste Favre, a fabricant/negociant operating at 97 place du Marche in Locle. I see him listed separately until 1855-1856--not sure if he was active after in a partnership or firm of other name, but that would seem most likely given his success. He won a first-class medal at the Paris Exhibition of 1855 (below). He had also displayed at the New York Exhibition of 1853 & received an honorable mention at London in 1851.

He had been active as a fabricant/negociant since at least 1840. In the early 1830s, he was already active in the legislature in Locle, also a deputy from 1831-1836. He is not listed as such in 1837, so it's possible (not certain) this is about the time he became active as a fabricant/negociant.

 

[John Matthews]

Peter - I cannot help with the maker of your watch. but I can with the case, thanks to Priestley.

The case carries the London assay office import mark and the date letter 'P' for 1910/11. It carries the importer's mark [G.G.G] for George Guillaume Gautschi, at that time trading as Depury, Gautschi & Co. from 115 Leadenhall Street, London.

 

[mosesgodfrey]

I have also just noted that H A Favre won a Silver Medal at the Swiss Industrial Exhibition at Bern in 1857 and is listed in an 1862 directory, so he was at least active through early 1860s.

Net, the movement is from circa 1840s-1850s, with a case imported/assayed in 1910. Not sure what that means. I do see only a single bear stamp.

 

[John Matthews]

Not sure what that means. I do see only a single bear stamp.

Can you please identify where you see the single bear ...



The only marks that I can see are the importers mark [G.G.G] at the top, the minimum purity stamp (925), the London Assay office import mark to the right (inverted) and the date letter [P] for 1910/11, below.

John

 

[mosesgodfrey]

Thought this was one... but could be wrong.

 

[Thor Bill]

How about this one (got it from Ebay for $114 a few years back) - Ed Favre Brandt Chronometre Locle ?

 

[mosesgodfrey]

Similar timing, maybe moved 10 years forward. Here’s an 1859 Caldwell ad. Any other pics of case marks or under dial would help.

 

[sternerp]

Many thanks to everyone who found new information for me about this watch!

" I read "19 [lignes] Savonet..." Strange that it is a Lepine. Is it 19L?"
It may be weird, but probably only because it got in a new case in the meantime. If you look at the other chronometer, that I showed, it is in a gold savonette case. Probably mine was like this originally too! In the evening I will measure the diameter, but it can be about the same size.

And thank you very much to Matthew for deciphering the markings on the case as well, and to Thor Bill for the pictures from an Ed Favre Brandt chronometer.

In the meantime, I also found one pocket watch from him (previously expired auction)

H.A. Favre 18k Gold Pocket Watch - Mar 15, 2010 | B.S. Slosberg, Inc. Auctioneers in PA

Early 19th c. H.A. Favre 18k gold open face pocket watch, "Observation Time Piece, Double Times, Independent seconds,... on Mar 15, 2010

www.liveauctioneers.com

 

[mosesgodfrey]

HA Favre's number 9718 that you linked just above, verrry interesting! "Observation Time Piece, Double Times, Independent seconds, compensation balance, 21 jewels" Favre was famous for his recording chronographs, which could take 300 observations in a minute.

Let's go back to the 1853-1854 Exhibition in New York. In the Swiss section, we find at booth 250:

Also at Booth 10: "Twelve watches. -- Henry August Favre, inventor & manufacturer. Locle, Canton Neuchatel." Here's a description of the wares:

He won an Honorable Mention at NYC for his chronographs, as he had at London in 1851.

I also think there is more help for dating to be had from the below on your watch. Will have to find my notes on this patent, or others may know offhand.

 

[sternerp]

And here is another masterpiece from H A Favre, one more pivoted detent chronometer movement, but with spherical hairspring!

J&H Archive Search

www.archive.jones-horan.com

It's a little weird, that my movement has a relatively high serial number, and yet there are so few hits on the internet when searching. Why?

 

[mosesgodfrey]

Good question. I believe the ebauche supplier serial number is the 8971 etched on your front plate. So perhaps Favre did reach 15k himself, but I cannot rule out an intermediary, with Favre buying to finish.

Pretty easy to lose all identification to Favre. The movements themselves are not stamped, so any with retailer dials are anonymous once uncased.

 

[sternerp]

I measured my movement, yes this is a 19 ligne caliber, the dial diameter is ca. 43 mm.