Late last year the world lost Brigitte Bardot, a French acting and musical icon who could claim major career achievements in the 1950s and 1960s. Coming up on September 21, some items from Bardot's homes in Saint-Tropez and Paris will go up for auction at the Hôtel Drouot in Paris. There are four lots featuring timepieces and here we will explore those items. Perhaps the most compelling items appear in lot 261: a pair of 1950s Jaeger alarm clocks in "gilt metal" and decorated with red and green lacquer. A pair of Jaeger alarm clocks. Photo courtesy Millon auction house. The catalogue describes the dials for these clocks as "Memovox-like" and I agree. At six-o-clock the dial is marked "Fabrique en Suisse." Within this mark is an encircled eight, indicating that the clocks have an eight day power reserve. The catalogue cautions us "movement needs checking" and I would agree. One dial appears akilter, a potential sign that the clock may h...
Economic complications in watchmaking