Ein Lemania double pusher wird am 25.04.2017 versteigert von Sotherby's! Die Uhr war eigentum von Winston Churchill, ein Geschenk der Einwohner von Canton Vaud. Die Uhr würde ganz gut in meiner Sammlung passen, aber ich befürchte der Preis wird nicht bei den Geschätzten/ Estimate 15,000—25,000 GBP bleiben.
http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ec…53/lot.160.html
Catalogue Note
Winston Churchill is undeniably one of the most important historical figures of the 20th
Century. He is synonymous with such values as courage, bravery,
determination, democracy and sophistication. He has inspired generations
around the world.
After his defeat in the July 1945 election, Sir Winston Churchill, as
the opposition leader, spent his time travelling, attending conferences
and painting.
In 1946 he delivered two significant historical speeches. In March,
during a trip to the United States, he introduced the famous term “iron
curtain” referring to the USSR and the Eastern Bloc. On the 19th
September at the University of Zurich he made one of his most important
post-war speeches. He proposed ‘a kind of United States of Europe’,
based on a rapprochement between the French and the Germans, he ended
the speech with the statement “Let Europe Arise”. This speech was
delivered at the end of a three week stay in Switzerland for Churchill,
his wife Clementine and his youngest daughter, Mary. The family stayed
from the end of August to September at the Villa de Choisi, in the
village of Bursinel, Canton of Vaud. The richly decorated villa was lent
by the Swiss banker Alfred Kern. The quiet residence was the perfect
holiday retreat for Churchill to paint, however, he mostly spent most of
his time writing the speech he was to give a few days later in Zurich.
An official visit to the city of Lausanne was organised for him and his
family on the 11th September. The local people gathered to
welcome him and thank him for his actions during the war that had
changed the world forever. During the event, the government of
Vaud presented Churchill with a wristwatch and his wife Clementine
received a painting by Bocion. Winston Churchill kept the watch all his
life, it then passed by decent through his family and then to the
present owner.
The present lot is the very watch which was presented to him by the Canton of Vaud. The watch is engraved to the back:
“Le canton de Vaud A son hote illustre Mr. Winston Churchill aout-september 1946”
Translated it says “From the Canton of Vaud to its famous guest Mr. Winston Churchill August-September 1946”.
The watch was a carefully considered gift. The name Lemania refers to
the Leman lake bordering the Canton of Vaud. Lemania, which is now part
of Breguet, was highly regarded for the quality of the movements it
produced and they supplied ébauches to some of the most renowned makers
such as Vacheron Constantin and Patek Philippe. The present lot is
fitted with a cal. CH27-C12 movement. This calibre was developed in the
early 1940’s in partnership with Omega. It is best known as the Omega
calibre 321.
More than 60 years have pasted and yet the present lot remains a
symbol of Winston Churchill’s vision of peace and unity. This is a rare
opportunity to acquire a very personal object with such an important
provenance; it is also a fascinating piece of horological history.