Founded in 1781,
Asprey & Co. has supplied a clientele of aristocrats, foreign heads of states and wealthy industrialists. In its glory days, from its New Bond Street address, the retailer was a destination for individuals of refinement and discernment, seeking articles of exclusive design and high quality. For horological aficionados,
Asprey will no doubt be familiar as a notable retailer of
Patek Philippe, including a recently surfaced
Asprey-signed
ref. 2499, and for being the official supplier of
Rolex watches to the Sultan of Oman.
This double-signed key certainly proves
Asprey’s uncompromising attention to detail. It is made in collaboration with
LeCoultre, a watchmaker well-known for its mechanical prowess, having designed numerous miniature mechanical calibres, to be used in a wide range of applications, such as the original
Bulgari Serpenti bracelet watches.
The key houses a 16-jewel circular backwind
LeCoultre caliber 426/2, measuring less than 3mm in thickness. The dial-side of watch is yet again an exercise in precision and attention to detail: it features a two-tone double-signed dial and blued steel sword hands. A small Swiss signature at 6 o’clock is a subtle reminder of the mechanics that lie within.
An eccentric and playful object, executed with meticulous attention to detail. We wonder what it unlocks.