Artisan "Master Squelette" Chronograph: Kurt Schaffo Attribution

This 18k yellow gold masterpiece represents the absolute apex of 1980s Swiss independent watchmaking. While unbranded on the dial, every detail of this watch speaks the design language of the Kurt Schaffo workshop, the legendary "Maitre Squeletteur" of Le Locle who was the secret artisan behind the skeletonized wonders of Audemars Piguet and Breguet during the neo-vintage era. At its heart beats the Valjoux 23SZ, the ultra-high-end manual-wind column-wheel movement, a calibre whose lineage served as the foundation for Patek Philippe's perpetual calendar chronographs (Ref. 2499) and Audemars Piguet's most complicated pieces.

Key Specifications

Case	18k yellow gold, manual-wind skeleton chronograph
Movement	Manual wind, Valjoux 23SZ, column-wheel chronograph, fully skeletonized
Skeletonization	Attributed to Kurt Schaffo workshop, Le Locle; manual jeweler's saw fretwork
Decoration	Hand-engraved "Acanthus" floral scrollwork on bridges; high-art anglage with mirror-polished bevels; gold-plated bridges
Column wheel	Fully visible through open-worked gear train
Strap	Leather

Collector's Note

Attribution to the Schaffo workshop, with engraving by his son Christophe, is supported by several signature characteristics present in this piece. Unlike modern laser-cut movements, this example was skeletonized using a manual jeweler's saw, with the bridges pared down to their absolute structural minimum, a technique Schaffo perfected to ensure maximum transparency without compromising stability. The dense floral "Acanthus" scrollwork on the bridges is a style synonymous with the Schaffo family's output for brands such as Zenith and Corum. The edges of the gold-plated bridges are hand-beveled and polished to a mirror finish, a level of anglage typically reserved for Patek Philippe or Vacheron Constantin. The column wheel, the hallmark of high-end traditional chronography, is fully visible and observable in action when the pusher is depressed. This is a piece for the connoisseur who understands that the finest watchmaking of the 20th century was often created by anonymous artisans whose work graced the most celebrated names in horology.

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