The split-second Duograph ref. 783 made by Breitling is extremely fascinating among collectors
nice and elegant, this lot is a very fine example of split second for any collector
in a very beautiful 18 kt rosegold case with fancy lugs
it comes with an all original salmon dial, the most beautiful i have ever seen in my life
Similar watches have been sold between 32,000 and 65,000 dollars in the past
an equivalent PRolex split seconds was even sold
- for CHF 3.3 millions
Inside works an high class Venus 179 movement, with "Geneva stripes"
full working in all
functions
and just serviced by our vintage master
watchmaker
Hodinkee whrite:
This mechanism first appeared around the 1880s in pocket watches,
and debuted in a wristwatch in 1923 by none other than Patek Philippe – a
30 mm, mono-pusher split-seconds chronograph with an enamel dial. We
covered that amazing piece (and it sold for just shy of 3,000,000 USD). Most, however, were produced as ebauches by manufacturers such as Valjoux or Venus around the middle of the 20th century.
In this article, we delve into the workings of these vintage
movements but also take the opportunity to illustrate two of its less
complicated, but more affordable cousins. We'd also give our take on how
these movements compare to some of the split-seconds movements out
there today – and their collectability.
Understanding The Traditional Split-Seconds Mechanism
A movement by Venus is perhaps the most common split-second
mechanism produced, showcasing the two distinctive prongs on either side
of the center wheel in the movement – these are the jaws of a clamp,
which we'll talk about in a moment. Venus movements were bought and
cased by brands such as Breitling or Record Watch Co., mostly in the
'40s and '50s, as production of these movements stopped soon after.