RARE MEMENTO MORI DIGITAL JUMP-HOUR Invar POCKET WATCH Silver “Galonne” c1910

RARE MEMENTO MORI DIGITAL JUMP-HOUR POCKET WATCH Solid 0.800 Silver “Galonne” Invar – Oversize 52mm – c. 1910 Includes $3,000 Appraisal Certificate

Historical Context & Significance

The Memento Mori Tradition Translating to “Remember that you must die,” the Memento Mori motif has a profound and highly collectible lineage in historical horology. Watchmakers integrated skulls, skeletons, and the Grim Reaper into their timepieces as poignant reminders of the fleeting nature of time and the fragility of human life. This specific dial presents a breathtakingly vivid, hand-painted style depiction of the Angel of Death, rendering it not just a timepiece, but a striking piece of philosophical art.

The Invar Legacy The “INVAR” hallmark on this movement represents a significant leap in early 20th-century precision timekeeping. The term stems from “invariable,” referring to the nickel-steel alloy invented by Nobel laureate Charles-Édouard Guillaume. This alloy was revolutionary for balance wheels and hairsprings because it resisted expansion and contraction due to temperature changes. The dust cover proudly displays the brand’s prestigious achievements, including the Grand Diplôme d’Honneur and Gold Medals at the Milan (1906) and Brussels (1910) exhibitions.

Item Specifications

• Brand/Maker: Invar (Swiss)

• Circa: c. 1910

• Case Material: Solid 0.800 Silver with “Galonne” (Rose Gold-plated) bezels and accents

• Case Diameter: 52mm (Oversize)

• Complication: Digital “Jump” Hour / Wandering Hour mechanism

• Escapement: High-Precision Anchor (Ancre de Haute Précision)

• Included: Formal Appraisal Certificate valued at $3,000.00 USD

Detailed Condition & Description

The Dial: The absolute centerpiece of this watch is its flawless, mesmerizing Memento Mori dial. It features a highly detailed, vividly colored Grim Reaper enveloped in a flowing red shroud, flanked by dark, feathered wings.

• Time Display: Features a rare and highly sought-after digital format. The outer minute track utilizes clear, highly legible Arabic numerals (1-60), indicated by a single, elegant gold-tone hand. The hours are displayed digitally through a curved aperture at the bottom, utilizing traditional Roman numerals (XI, XII, I) on a rotating disc.

• Condition: Pristine. There are no visible hairlines, chips, or fading to the incredible artwork.

The Case: The robust, heavy 52mm solid silver case features stunning rose-gold “Galonne” accents around the rims, complemented by a gold winding crown.

• Case Back: Engine-turned with a beautifully preserved, unmonogrammed central floral cartouche, ready for personalization or perfect left blank.

• Inner Hallmarks: Fully hallmarked with the 0.800 silver purity stamp, the German Crescent Moon & Crown import mark, and the “C.M.I. GALONNE” designation. Serial number 160777.

• Dust Cover (Cuvette): Lavishly engraved with the maker’s exhibition medals and technical specifications: “INVAR – Ancre de Haute Précision – Réglage Breguet à Courbe Théorique de Philipps – Médaille d’Or Milan 1906, Bruxelles 1910.”

The Movement: Beneath the dust cover lies a pristine, high-grade gilded mechanical movement, clearly signed “INVAR”. It features exposed winding wheels, rich ruby jewels set in screwed chatons, and a meticulously decorated balance cock. The movement boasts a Breguet overcoil hairspring, ensuring chronometer-level precision for its era.

Investment Value

Digital jump-hour pocket watches from the early 1900s are exceedingly rare; pairing this mechanical complication with a flawless Memento Mori dial elevates this piece to museum-grade collectibility. Offered in perfect, collector-ready condition and backed by a $3,000 Appraisal Certificate, this piece represents a tangible asset and a masterclass in antique Swiss watchmaking.

Please carefully review all high-resolution macro photographs, as they are an integral part of the description. Feel free to contact me with any questions prior to bidding.

History: The Invar Watch Co. was founded in 1901 by Achilles Hirsch in La Chaux de Fonds,named after the invar material used in balance. Invar was invented in 1896 by Swiss physicist, Charles Edouard (acute on ‘E’) Guillaume, but he was only internationally recognized for the discovery in 1920 when he received the Nobel prize for physics, encouraged by the improvement in scientific instruments that the use of Invar had allowed. Invar has proved to be an incredibly useful alloy and is used where high dimensional stability is required, such as precision instruments, clocks, seismic creep indicators, TV shadow-mask frames, valves in engines, and antimagnetic watches. I have not so far mentioned the useful antimagnetic properties of Invar, but in combination with high dimensional stability, these make for an excellent material to be used in the manufacture of hair springs and certain other components in mechanical watches. Indeed, the bi-metallic balance in watches that had been the previous method of controlling accuracy for temperature variations could now be replaced by solid Invar.