Exceptionally fine and important, astronomic 18K gold pocket chronometer with detent escapement, moon phases, perpetual calendar
and minute-repeater.

Exceptionally fine and important 18K gold astronomic pocket watch with moon phases, clockwatch, perpetual calendar, split-second chronograph with counter and minute-repeater.

Rare, astronomic 18K gold dress watch with moon phases and digital perpetual calendar.

Spanning the period between the 16th and 20th centuries, the Theodor Beyer Private Collection
includes over 200 timepieces of exceptional technical, aesthetic and artistic quality. It is a
collection which will undoubtedly attract the interest of collectors and amateurs worldwide.

The Beyer Watch Museum on the Bahnhofstrasse in Zurich and the Private Collection of Theodor Beyer are a collector’s dream. Theodor Beyer died last July but his memory lives on through the exceptional pieces in his collection. Antiquorum is to auction the Theodor Beyer Private Collection in Zurich, at the Hotel Baur au Lac, on 16 November 2003.

‘To those in the know, Theodor Beyer was the reference, an example of passion, of love of work well
done, and a gentleman in the world of horology.
These qualities created a halo of the highest professionalism around Chronometrie Beyer and the Beyer Museum. As with the precise qualities he so much
appreciated in the watch

pieces he loved, he was also precise, kind and jovial in his affairs; characteristics that were appreciated by both his clients and his suppliers.’ Osvaldo Patrizzi, President of Antiquorum.

This unique sale represents more than 40 years of Theodor Beyer’s passion for clock and watch collecting. Theodor Beyer carefully sought the best and most technically discriminating timepieces made by the greatest masters from every century. Unlike many collectors he didn’t focus his attention on one aspect or era of horology; technical, artistic, cultural and historical aspects were all of equal importance to him.


A long connection with the world of horology

The House of Beyer has had a long connection with the world of horology beginning in 1760 when Stefan Beyer started his workshop in Feuerthalen.
He used to retail wooden and iron clocks made by local craftsmen, making any necessary repairs himself. Around 1800 he moved the business first to the Rindermart, in the old part of the city of Zürich, and then again, in 1850, to the fashionable Limmätquai.

In 1875 Chronometrie Beyer was one of the first businesses to move to the Bahnhofstrasse. But it was only after expansion of the shop, in 1970 and 1981, that Theodor Beyer finally had sufficient space to create a public museum for his collection.
In 1839 Chronometrie Beyer was the first client of the house of Patek Philippe and the young Theodor Beyer soon became a very close friend of the Stern family. ‘Teddy Beyer was someone special,’ says Philippe Stern, ‘I suppose everyone would say this, but he really was. Not just because of his love of watchmaking, but also because of his many other interests in life. He was very cultivated. He was a real gentleman in the true sense of the word, not only towards my family, but also as a friend. He could be very funny, very open. He liked to make a few jokes and, although he didn’t look like it, he was very spirited, very sincere, and very loyal. If he said something it was said and finished – he would never change his mind. His word was his bond. I also feel he had a real love for Patek Philippe, maybe more than for any other brand. Teddy always used to tell the story that Patek Philippe was naturally a part of his life, because it is where his grandfather met his grandmother! Although Teddy Beyer knew everything about watchmaking, he was not someone who flaunted his abilities, he was a very humble man. I learned a lot from attending auctions with him. His human qualities and his technical qualities were well above anybody else’s.’ Theodor Beyer studied watchmaking and was first apprenticed at Patek Philippe. His understanding of the interior mechanisms of watches was equally as comprehensive as his understanding of their external aesthetic qualities – knowledge which conferred on him the enviable reputation of ‘Grand Connoisseur’. ‘During our many conversations together he told of his experiences while working at Patek Philippe where he had had the good fortune to work with both André Bornand and André Zibach, (the famous experts of precision timepieces who helped perpetuate the lasting tradition of the house of Patek Philippe). He also told me of the personalities he had met, esteemed and much appreciated friends such as André Heiniger and Jacques Duchêne of

“The Forge of Love”,
Robert & Courvoisier,
No. 79905, circa 1795.

Rolex,’ says Osvaldo Patrizzi. ‘Listening with admiration to the stories of Theodor Beyer, I became like a child, fascinated by this man, with his simplicity and his gentleness, sharing his memories, allowing me to relive his life with him. This helped me to reinforce my own convictions and my interest in our shared world of watchmaking, the art of watchmaking, and the men that built this world.’

His great friend and fellow watch connoisseur, Oscar Schwank, remembers the pleasure and camaraderie they shared. ‘I knew him for over 40 years. We both had similar businesses (except that his was established and I was a beginner) and we both collected clocks and watches. Auctions are like a game, but in those times if you went to an auction you always had a chance to find something special. I particularly remember an auction in New York, about 25 years ago. Over lunch he asked me if I was interested in a particular clock. I said, ‘Yes.’ It was a nice 17th century clock, but the people from the auction house were not sure and had changed the description to ‘19th century’ during the exhibition. So everyone else, except he and I, immediately lost interest in it.

have in my collection. It is a 17th century astronomical clock, with all the indications, a very nice clock. Theodor was just like that, no argument, no meals, no money, a real friend and gentleman.’ Jean-Claude Sabrier, watch expert, remembers Theodor Beyer’s sense of fun. ‘At one sale Teddy was wearing a postman’s hat, a bit like a Tyrolean hat with a feather, and he was laughing. He was bidding in the room against another man. The more Teddy pushed up the price the more he laughed. Eventually the other man bought the watch, but Teddy was so happy, he was really enjoying the fun.

Christian Pfeiffer-Belli recalls the many trips they took together with various horologic associations, seeking out little known timepieces and spending hours of pleasurable discussion with likeminded people. ‘He carefully sought the best and most technically discriminating timepieces made by the greatest masters from every epoch. Technical, artistic, and cultural historical aspects were of equal importance to Theodor Beyer, whose collection also featured several Zürcher watches.
There’ were a number of collectors who more or less blindly trusted Teddy Beyer, thus enabling him to build up and care for several collections in the years prior to his death.’ Jacques Duchêne of Rolex

Oudin, “Eleve de Breguet, Rue Vivienne
No. 7, No. 253”, dated AN 1806.
An exceptionally fine and rare 20K gold double-barrel
self-winding perpetuelle watch with quarter-repeating,
60-minute power reserve indication, thermometer,
and Robert chronometer-lever escapement. Provenance: King Faruk Collection.

Estimate: SFr 200’000 – 300’000 (US$ 150,000 – 200,000).

also recalls Theodor Beyer’s expertise, ‘Over the 40 years of friendship, I came to appreciate his outstanding and warm personality. He was a great connoisseur of watchmaking with exceptional expertise in collecting old timepieces.

Many interesting tales to tell

There are many interesting stories surrounding the collecting escapades Beyer. Alan Banbery, former Curator Patek Philippe Museum, recalls, Beyer was a highly respected businessman and this, along with his sense of infectious laugh, made him a redoubtable rival in the watch auction rooms the world. I recall one occasion when we both coveted an extremely rare ‘Sympathique’ table clock. Teddy eventually claimed victory and triumphantly announced that he had, for many years, owned the original watch that belonged to that clock! Certainly a worthwhile and satisfying acquisition!’ Christian Pfeiffer- Belli remembers an occasion on a trip to the Hermitage in St Petersberg, ‘Each of us headed off in different directions to seek out the most interesting timepieces, to return a few minutes later, with treasures in hand, to meet again at a large table in the center. Teddy Beyer had discovered a large octagonal wooden case which he thought might contain an early John Arnold marine chronometer, but which, to our mutual surprise, turned out to be an octagonal table clock. It bore an insignia identifying it as being from Königsberg, it was equipped with a seconds hand, and it probably dated from the early 17th century. I clearly recall how the unusual motion that occurred when the clock was carried caused it briefly to come to life. Watching the large blue centrally axial seconds-hand as it arced through a few increments across the dial, Teddy exclaimed, “That’s surely the earliest timepiece with a seconds-hand that I know of!” He would no doubt have gladly paid a pretty penny for it, and immediately integrated it into his collection.’ Such times were very precious to Theodor Beyer. ‘My father’s membership in various horologic associations such as the ANCHA, NAWCC and the British Horological Society was what kept him going in his last years,’ recalls René Beyer, ‘he really valued these friendships and the sense of camaraderie he had with these people and he very much enjoyed their company. For my father these times were very special. It allowed him to travel the world indulging his passion and achieving his vision – enjoying the ‘glory days’ for collectors of horology.’ As the sixth generation of retailers of horology, Theodor Beyer left to his son, René, the legacy of a world renowned shop, a jewel of a museum, with an enormous variety of exhibits, and a Private Collection. René Beyer took over control of the company in 1996, having worked with his father since 1985, and is well aware of the responsibility such a heritage brings with it and the importance to invest in and maintain his father’s museum for the benefit of future generations.

The Private Collection of Theodor Beyer represents more than 170 individually selected pieces, many purchased for their important place in the history of horology and others for their curiosity value.

These works, which cover the history of horology from the 15th century to 1986, will be sold by Antiquorum on 16 November 2003 at the Hotel Baur au Lac in Zürich, with previews in New
York 24th - 25th October, at the Tourneau Time Machine, in Tokyo 31st October to 1st November, at Toshi International, in Geneva 4th – 7th November, at Antiquorum’s showroom, 2 rue du Mont Blanc, and in Zürich as of 13th November at Chronométrie Beyer and the Beyer Museum.

“Westminster chimes”.
Edouard JeanRichard, Le Locle, No. 3687/36891, circa 1915. A very fine and very rare 18K gold hunting-casedkeyless astronomical minute-repeating carillon watch with Westminster chimes on four gongs,perpetual calendar, phases of the moon, chronograph and 30-minute instantaneous register.
Estimate: SFr 60’000 – 80’000 (US$ 46,000 – 62,000).

Patek Philippe & Cie, Genève, Ref 1463, 18K gold, made in the 1950s.
Estimate: SFr 120’000 – 140’000
(US$ 95,000 – 110,000).

Patek Philippe & Cie, Genève, Ref. 130, 18K gold, made in the 1950s.
Estimate: SFr 30’000 – 40’000
(US$ 23,000 – 30,000).

Patek Philippe & Cie, Genève, Ref. 130,
18K gold, made in the 1950s.
Estimate: SFr 30’000 – 40’000
(US$ 23,000 – 30,000).