Attributed to Paul Ditisheim

• cal. 20''' nickel silver lever escapement movement, cut bi-metallic compensation balance with gold regulation screws and Breguet spring, micrometre swan neck regulation system, three polished hammers repeating on three gongs • gilt dial with engraved and filled enamel Breguet numerals, blued Breguet hands, subsidiary seconds, outer minute track • 18k gold hunter case with slide for the repeater at 6 • case stamped 'DITIS Grand Prix Paris 1900', London import date marks for 1915 and retailer's initials 'GS' for The Goldsmiths & Silversmiths Co., movement signed 'grand prix Paris 1900'.

Movement is in working order while cataloguing, but it has not been tested for the accuracy of time keeping and a service might be required at the buyer's expense. Case in good condition with scuffs do to use and age, dial in good condition, movement in good condition with few fingerprints corrosion.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. All dimensions in catalogue descriptions are approximate. Condition reports may not specify mechanical replacements or imperfections to the movement, case, dial, pendulum, separate base(s) or dome. Watches in water-resistant cases have been opened to examine movements but no warranties are made that the watches are currently water-resistant. Please note that we do not guarantee the authenticity of any individual component parts, such as wheels, hands, crowns, crystals, screws, bracelets and leather bands, since subsequent repairs and restoration work may have resulted in the replacement of original parts. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue. In particular, please note it is the purchaser's responsibility to comply with any applicable import and export matters, particularly in relation to lots incorporating materials from endangered species.NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

**Please be advised that bands made of materials derived from endangered or otherwise protected species (i.e. alligator and crocodile) are not sold with the watches and are for display purposes only. We reserve the right to remove these bands prior to shipping.

Important Notice regarding importation into the United States of Rolex watches
Sotheby's cannot arrange for the delivery of Rolex watches to the United States because U.S. laws restricts the import of Rolex watches. The buyer or a designated agent may collect the property in the country of sale."

Paul Ditisheim was born in 1868 in La Chaux-de-Fonds, son of the famous Ditisheim family, founder and owner of Vulcain, the watch manufacturer enjoyed by American presidents such as Dwight Eisenhower, Harry Truman, Richard Nixon and Lyndon Johnson. He was born into the small social circle of industrialist families that led the Swiss watch industry of the time. He studied at the Horological School of La Chaux-de-Fonds and received his 'diploma with honor' at the age of 13 . He was then trained in several of the major watch makers and worked at his family's Vulcain manufacture until 1892 when he founded his own brands: Solvil and Titus .

He was considered one of the most talented watchmakers, inventors and entrepreneurs of his time.

Paul Ditisheim was instrumental in developing the new generation of chronometers, improving them greatly through his studies on the impact of atmospheric pressure and magnetic fields. He invented the affix balance. Thanks to his inventions, he was able to make the most precise chronometers ever made. By 1903, his watches had been awarded 1st prize at both Kew and Neuchâtel Observatories contests. In 1912, he won the world’s chronometric record of the Royal Kew Observatory. He also worked closely with Physics Nobel prize winner Charles-Edouard Guillaume (who invented the 'Guillaume balance'). According to Professor M. Andrade of the Besançon Astronomical Observatory, Ditisheim’s work “constitutes the most important progress of modern chronometry”.

The case of the present watch is stamped with The Goldsmiths & Silversmiths Co. Ltd. hallmark, one of the leading English manufacturers and retailers of fine watches, silver and jewellery situated at 112 Regent Street, London.