JOSEF NICOLAUS, SENFTENBERG IN BÖHMEN | A SILVER OPEN-FACED CHRONOMETER WATCH WITH SIDEREAL TIME IN ORIGINAL MAHOGANY DECK BOXNO. 27, CIRCA 1900

• Movement: gilded three-quarter plate, Earnshaw type spring-detent escapement, free-sprung bi-metallic compensation balance with gold timing weights, blued steel helical spring, brass collar for winding square, gilt-metal cuvette with aperture for winding, movement and cuvette signed and numbered Jos. Nicolaus Senftenberg in Böhmen, no.27• Dial: white enamel, outer Arabic minute ring with central blued steel hand, two subsidiary dials for constant seconds and 24-hour sidereal time, blued steel hands, signed Jos. Nicolaus Senftenberg in Böhmen, no.27 and additionally marked Stern Zeit (Sidereal Time)• Case: plain silver case, case maker's mark FS beneath a crown incuse• Deck Box: two-tier mahogany deck box with blue velvet lined holder, the lock with key, lacking numbered roundel plaque to lid 

Time Museum, Rockford Illinois, inventory no.258
Sotheby's New York, Masterpieces from the Time Museum, Part II, 19 June 2002, lot 67

Anthony Randall, The Time Museum Catalogue of Marine Chronometers, Rockford, 1992, cat. no. 124, p.267, figs. 162 a & b
Heinrich Von Lunardi, Chronik über den Uhrmacher und Chronometerhersteller Josef Nicolaus, Uhren Journal für Sammler Klassischer Zeitmesser, May 1994, pp. 29-30, figs. 2 a & b

Movement: running at time of cataloguing, plates tarnished and a little dirty, may benefit from a service. Dial: fine hairline crack to subsidiary 24-hour dial, otherwise the dial appears to be in good overall condition. The seconds hand and hour hand have been replaced since the watch's inclusion in the 2002 Time Museum sale. Case: case and cuvette good overall with tarnishing and light scuffs.
"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."

Josef Nicolaus was born in 1855 in Senftenberg Bohemia where he later studied watchmaking before moving to work in Switzerland. The design of the movement is quite advanced, as evidenced by the vertically hanging detent, which reduces the positional effects of gravity.