PAUL BUHRE, 18K PINK GOLD HUNTER CASE MINUTE REPEATING PERPETUAL CALENDAR SPLIT SECONDS CHRONOGRAPH KEYLESS LEVER WATCH

An undoubted masterpiece, the present ‘Grand Complication’ watch is one of Paul Buhre’s most complicated and sophisticated timepieces. To the best of our knowledge, no other watch made by the celebrated maker with these particular complications has appeared at public auction to date.

The nine complications
The present timepiece impresses with the following nine complications, in addition to the essential timekeeping functions such as hours, minutes and seconds which are not considered complications:

1. Minute repeater
2. Perpetual Calendar
3. Four year cycle
4. Days of the month
5. Days of the week
6. Months
7. Moon phases and age
8. Chronograph
9. Split seconds function

Pavel (Paul) Buhré
Paul-Léopold Buhré, a Swiss watchmaker from Le Locle who had emigrated to Russia, opened in 1815 a small workshop in St. Petersburg. The business was later taken over by his son Paul.

Thanks to Paul's good relations with various Russian ministries and especially the Imperial Court, Buhré obtained the title of Official Supplier to His Majesty. As a result he founded his own watch factory in Le Locle, producing expensive watches very popular amongst Russian nobles and officers.

The company won medals at National and International exhibitions including in Paris in 1889 a silver medal and a gold in 1900.