The foudroyante (lightning in French) is arguably one of the most visually captivating complications ever created. As today’s collectors scramble for the F.P. Journe Centigraphe or Jaeger LeCoultre Duometre, one would be quite stirred to find the foudroyante on the present pocket watch from more than a century ago. Seeing the small foudroyante hand rotates once a second on the subsidiary dial in four swift jumps, one cannot help but be in awe of the mechanism. The present pocket watch with minute repeater, independent seconds and 1/4 second foudroyante is a delightfully well-preserved example from circa 1900’s, and it provides a fascinating glimpse into the horological world of the past.
F. Luthi, was a watch and clockmaker from Paris known for their spectacular high precision pocket watches and pendulum clocks produced prior to the 1930’s. Signed F. Luthi, Paris, the white enamel dial of the present timepiece is characterized by Arabic numerals, an outer Arabic minute ring and a subsidiary foudroyante dial at the 6 o’clock. The classic dial layout is adorned with a set of blued spade hands, manifesting an elegant simplicity.
The watch is further cased in a yellow gold four-body "bassine et filets" keyless hunter case, with a beautifully engraved gold cuvette with an engine-turned edge. The French domestic gold horse head assay mark used from 1847 to 1919 is stamped on the bow, case cover and beneath the crown in remarkable crispness, indicating that the pocket watch has been tested under the standards of the French authorities. Further stamped with a Société Générale des monteurs de boîtes d’or, Besançon hallmark on the case cover, indicating that the casemaker of the pocket watch is a specialist from the city of Besançon in Eastern France, the watchmaking capital of France.
Fitted with a glazed gilt brass 19" double train movement with equilibrated straight line lever escapement and Breguet balance spring, the movement of the present timepiece also boasts great technical complexity. The whirling action on the subsidiary foudroyante dial is set off by the activation of a push-piece on the case band, which releases the independent seconds and foudroyante train. Invented in the late eighteenth century, the independent seconds watch has two mainsprings and two wheel trains, and it provides the energy needed to power the whirling foudroyante. Graced with a slide on the side of the case, the minute repeater is activated to chime the hours, quarters and minutes with great tone and clarity.
Offered in excellent condition, the present pocket watch is a superb fusion of quality craftsmanship and mechanical finesse. A mesmerizing relic that has survived through all the turmoil in the history of French watchmaking, it would not fail to enchant horological enthusiasts and neophytes alike.
