№141 — Gabus Frères' Maisons
Each entry below is marked by evidence tier — Documented, Collector Research, or Dealer Attribution — reflecting how well each attribution is corroborated.
What the Number Inside a Case Means
A number stamped inside a Swiss watch case in gold, silver, platinum or palladium identifies the firm answerable for the case, not the name on the dial. Swiss law requires such a case to carry a legal fineness figure and a registered responsibility mark — the poinçon de maître — and to be submitted for official assay. Cases in steel or base metal carry no such mark.
The outline around the number is not the workshop's own design. Six collective marks were registered between 1926 and 1958, each shared by many case makers and distinguished only by the number struck inside it. The hammerhead is No. 1, for gold, platinum and palladium cases made outside Geneva; Geneva registered its own, a key, in 1930. The outline says which register to consult. The number says which workshop. Gabus Frères held 141.
This is why a Rolex, a Vacheron Constantin and a Longines can all carry the same mark inside the caseback. The case came from an outside supplier, and the mark records which one — Rolex's own first Oyster cases, from 1926–27, were made by C. R. Spillmann & Co. SA, hammerhead №136, not by Rolex.
The other numbers belong to other case makers, each listed in the hammerhead register.
Case Attributions
Cases are attributed under the firm name in use at the time of manufacture; №141 ran across all three.
Ref. 8206
Known to collectors as the "Rolex Gabus." Produced in 1949. Square case by Gabus Frères, Le Locle. Production figures for the reference are unsettled: Christie's cites 37 examples in 18ct yellow gold; a figure of 37 in yellow and 37 in pink gold, 74 in total, circulates across several auction houses; Lyon & Turnbull records approximately 12 examples appearing publicly since 1992. Examples in yellow, pink and rose gold are documented on the Sightings page. Examples made and examples known are not the same measure.
18k gold · case maker Gabus Frères · mark №141
Ref. 3068
Open-face chronograph whose case is linked to Swiss Patent CH144357 (1930), granted to Gabus Frères, Usines Safir. A second example sold by Christie’s has its caseback stamped 3068 alongside the brevet number 144’357 — important technical evidence, corroborated across two independent examples. The photograph shown here is of a further example offered by a dealer, not the auctioned watch.
Case maker Gabus Frères, Usines Safir · patent CH144357
‘Precision’ Ref. 9168
9ct gold case, 20mm, circa 1950, with 17-jewel crown-wind Calibre 1300 and a cream dial with gold batons. The interior caseback carries the №141 mark beside the 9C 0.375 fineness box, with the reference struck below. Catalogued by Cheffins, Cambridge, in April 2024, whose description names the mark directly: “Poinçon de Maître: Hammer Head number 141 for Gabus Frères.” Nine-carat gold is a British fineness, not used for the Swiss or Continental trade.
9ct gold · ladies’ watch · Cal. 1300 · 17 jewels · 20mm · mark №141 · case by Gabus Frères
Ref. 4471
18ct rose gold cushion-cased chronometer, c. 1946, signed “Rolex 31 Victoires Haute Précision.” Dealer listing states the caseback carries Swiss hallmarks and the Hammerhead №141, denoting a case made for Rolex by Gabus Frères.
18ct rose gold · chronometer, Super balance · mark №141 · case by Gabus Frères
Ref. 4516 “Fancy Lugs”
18K yellow gold, c. 1947, 33mm case / 39mm lug-to-lug. “Precision” dial with a notably rare “thimble” crown. Caseback shows the Rolex crown / Genève Suisse mark, 18K 0.750 fineness, case No. 4516/596, and the Hammerhead №141 struck into the case. The Bonhams sale listing itself does not mention Gabus Frères — the mark was identified from a photograph separate from the listing, which made no such claim.
18K yellow gold · case No. 4516/596 · mark №141 · case by Gabus Frères
Ref. 8094
Square Gabus case, less widely known than the 8206. Caseback signed Geneva Swiss Rolex, 18K 0.750, bearing Swiss hallmarks and the Hammerhead №141, denoting a case made for Rolex by Gabus Frères.
Mark №141 inside case
Ref. 6507
18k yellow gold, 1960–1965, 33mm. Manual-wind Calibre 1003. Goldammer's listing states the case was made by Gabus Frères, Usine Safir S.A.; the caseback shows the Hammerhead №141 mark beside brevet number 356411 — one of two documented examples, alongside Ref. 6506, of the 1959 Gabus Frères case-construction patent CH356411A.
18k gold · Calibre 1003 · mark №141 · patent CH356411A
Patrimony Ref. 6506, 1960s
18k yellow gold, 33mm. Manual-wind Calibre K1003, 17 jewels. Goldammer's listing does not mention Gabus Frères; the case photograph shows the Hammerhead №141 mark beside brevet number 356411 — one of two documented examples, alongside Ref. 6507, of the 1959 Gabus Frères case-construction patent CH356411A.
18k gold · 33mm · Cal. K1003 · 17 jewels · mark №141 · patent CH356411A
Precision Ref. 9708
18K yellow gold, c. 1961. Caseback shows the Hammerhead №141 mark alongside the engraved patent number 356411 — Gabus Frères' 1959 case-construction patent (CH356411A). A third documented example of this patent, alongside Vacheron Constantin Refs. 6507 and 6506.
18K yellow gold · case No. 770184 · mark №141 · patent CH356411A
Precision Ref. 9971
18K yellow gold, ultra-thin manual-wind, c. 1960s. Caseback shows the Hammerhead №141 mark alongside the engraved patent number 356411 — Gabus Frères' 1959 case-construction patent (CH356411A). A fourth documented example of this patent, alongside Vacheron Constantin Refs. 6507 and 6506, and Rolex Ref. 9708.
18K yellow gold · 34.5mm · mark №141 · patent CH356411A
Ref. 6780
Three-body 18k gold case with snap-on caseback, 34mm, housing Calibre P453/3B — 17 jewels, 18,000 A/h, 46-hour reserve. A Goldammer listing dates the reference to 1955–1958. The interior caseback carries the №141 mark beside the 18K 0.750 fineness box and Helvetia head, with case number 397689 and the reference struck beneath.
18k gold · Cal. P453/3B · 17 jewels · 34mm · mark №141 · case by Gabus Frères
Ref. 6769
18K rose gold dress watch, 1960s. Case No. 397471. Two-body solid case with snap-on engine-turned back, silvered dial with applied indexes, subsidiary seconds, and bâton hands. Manual-winding Calibre K453/3BW (No. 562835), 18 jewels, Geneva Seal. The caseback carries the Swiss 18K hallmarks together with the Hammerhead №141, confirming Gabus Frères as case maker.
18K rose gold · case No. 397471 · Calibre K453/3BW · mark №141 · case by Gabus Frères
Ref. 6515
18K yellow gold slim dress watch, 1960s. The dealer listing states that the case carries the stamped reference 6515 together with the Swiss 18K 0.750 hallmarks and the Hammerhead №141, identifying Gabus Frères as case maker. Typical examples measure approximately 33–35 mm and house a manual-winding Calibre 1002 (Geneva Seal).
18K yellow gold · Ref. 6515 · mark №141 · case by Gabus Frères
Ref. R530 (Cal. LP41)
18K gold dress wristwatch, c. 1960, movement signed “Blancpain Rayville S.A.” Dealer listing states the case was produced outside Geneva by Gabus Frères, Usines Safir, in Le Locle, with the caseback carrying the Helvetia 18K mark and the Hammerhead №141.
18K yellow gold · Caliber LP41 · mark №141 · case by Gabus Frères, Usines Safir
Ref. 50617
14k yellow gold, 1960, 34mm. Calatrava-style case with angular lugs, dauphine hands, double indices at 12 o'clock. The Hammerhead №141 is visible on the caseback; a dealer listing (Quaint & Collectible) attributes the case to Gabus Frères.
14k gold · mark №141
Ref. 790
18-carat gold chronograph, dated 1934. The dealer's own listing makes no mention of Gabus Frères or the case-maker's mark; the Hammerhead №141 was identified from the listing's own caseback photograph.
18ct gold · chronograph · mark №141 · case by Gabus Frères
Case No. 5,543,066
18K yellow gold “Moneta”-type case, c. 1937, manual winding (Caliber 27.o), 30.9mm, snap-on caseback, made for Longines Saint-Imier. Silver dial with suspended Arabic numerals, radial indexes, subsidiary seconds at 6. Antiquorum's own catalog entry states plainly: “Case No. 5 543 066 (by Gabus Frères, Le Locle).” Photo shows the dial only; the listing does not reference the Hammerhead №141 specifically.
18K yellow gold · case No. 5,543,066 · Caliber 27.o · case by Gabus Frères
Ladies’ 9ct Gold Wristwatch
9ct gold case, 21mm, with signed 17-jewel crown-wind Calibre 14.16; the movement serial dates it to 1960. The snap-on caseback carries London import marks for 9ct gold alongside Swiss marks and the №141 punch. Catalogued by Cheffins, Cambridge, in June 2020, naming “Poinçon de Maître, Hammer Head number 141 for Gabus Frères, Oracier SA.”
9ct gold · ladies’ watch · Cal. 14.16 · 21mm · mark №141 · case by Gabus Frères
Enamel Pocket Watch
18-carat gold and enamel open-face pocket watch, Ø44.4mm, circa 1940–45, Calibre 17.89-ABC. The case back is painted in enamel on gold with an allegory of Love — two angels, one drawing an arrow from an escutcheon stamped with flaming hearts. Case No. 6 981 277, four-piece ‘Variée’, with the №141 mark struck inside. Catalogued by FutureGrail in 2024: “Case: by Gabus Frères, Le Locle.”
18ct gold & enamel · Cal. 17.89-ABC · 44.4mm · mark №141 · case by Gabus Frères
Ref. 6983
18kt rose gold, c. 1960, 34mm. Manual-wind Calibre 30L, 17 jewels. The dealer's listing is a technical spec sheet with no mention of Gabus Frères or the case-maker; the Hammerhead №141 was identified from the listing's own photographs.
18kt rose gold · 34mm · Cal. 30L · 17 jewels · case ref. 6983
Ref. 1900
Shaped 18k gold dress watch, c. 1970. Auction documentation records “fabrication GABUS Frères” and Hammerhead №141. A separately photographed example, offered by a dealer, shows the same mark on its caseback.
18k gold · mark №141
Veri-Thin Realm (Import 257)
14K pink gold, c. 1944–45. Case No. 110242, Gruen Caliber 410 (movement No. 914867), full numeral dial. Case maker recorded as Gabus Frères / Usines Safir, Le Locle, identified by the №141 mark — evidence of the firm's case-making reach into the American market. Also produced in a Caliber 420 variant.
14K pink gold · case No. 110242 · Caliber 410 · mark №141 · case by Gabus Frères, Usines Safir
Precision Chrono-Timer, Ref. 30
14K gold (0.585), c. 1940s. Silver dial signed ‘Gruen Precision, Chrono-Timer,’ pulsation scale graduated for 30 pulsations, tachymeter and telemeter scales, manual-wind caliber 450, 17 jewels. Caseback signed ‘Gruen Watch Co., Switzerland,’ 14K 0.585 fineness, and stamped №141.
14K gold · Cal. 450 · 17 jewels · mark №141 · case by Gabus Frères
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Case No. 10730397
Gold case, c. 1946, powered by Omega's Caliber 30T2SC — the firm's flagship manual-wind movement of the era. Caseback carries Omega Watch Co. maker's marks and the Hammerhead №141, identifying Gabus Frères, Usines Safir, as case maker.
Gold case · Caliber 30T2SC · case No. 10730397 · mark №141 · case by Gabus Frères, Usines Safir
Ladies' Dress Watch
18ct pink gold ladies' watch, dated 1949 by the dealer. The caseback carries the Hammerhead №141, identifying Gabus Frères as case maker. Zenith did not manufacture its own cases, relying on independent case makers — both firms were established at Le Locle.
18ct pink gold · ladies' watch · mark №141 · case by Gabus Frères
Skeleton Openworked Watch
Solid 18K yellow gold case, c. 1960s, approximately 33mm, with acrylic exhibition back. Openworked skeletonized movement with “Florentine” finishing, Lucien Piccard LP Supreme Cal. 52 manual-winding (17 jewels). Dealer listing states the case was manufactured by Gabus Frères of Le Locle, identified by the №141 hallmark case code.
18K yellow gold · Cal. LP Supreme 52 · mark №141 · case by Gabus Frères
14K Manual Dress Watch
14K gold manual-wind dress watch, 32mm case, blue dial. Cal. LP 48B, 17 jewels, unadjusted. Case back stamped with the No. 141 mark alongside a .585 fineness box; movement signed "Lucien Piccard, Seventeen 17 Jewels, LP 48B, N142379, Swiss, Unadjusted." Dealer listing, Hidden Treasures On Line (eBay), makes no attribution to Gabus Frères or the mark itself.
14K gold · Cal. LP 48B · 17 jewels · mark №141
Premier, Ref. 777, 18k Coral Gold, c. 1945
Screw-back 18k rose-gold case, ref. 777, dated to about 1945 — early for a screw-back gold case on this reference, as noted in the discussion. Original dial, unrestored. The Hammerhead №141 identified on the caseback, attributing the case to Gabus Frères, in a thread on the NAWCC forum.
18k coral gold · ref. 777 · screw-back case · mark №141 · case by Gabus Frères
Premier, Ref. 788, 18k Pink Gold, 1945
One of only 200 examples of this model made in 18K pink gold, case numbers ranging from 593'429 to 593'628. Christie's own catalogue entry, citing Breitling's own archives, states plainly that the cases were made by Gabus Frères in Le Locle. The example sold, case no. 593'608, sits within that run and dates the group to 1945.
18k pink gold · one of 200 · case no. 593'608 · case by Gabus Frères
Baumatic Automatic, c. 1960s
18K gold (0.750), c. 1960s. Baumatic automatic movement, 17 jewels, Incabloc shock protection. Case signed “Baume & Mercier, Genève,” hallmarked and stamped with the №141 mark — its banner shape matching the confirmed Hammerhead pattern used elsewhere in this archive.
18K gold · Baumatic movement · 17 jewels · mark №141 · case by Gabus Frères
Baumatic, Micro-Rotor (Cal. BM 12600)
18K gold (0.750), case stamped BREV. 395874 and №141. Micro-rotor automatic, cal. BM 12600 (Büren 1001A), 33 jewels. Brevet number matches Patent CH 395874 (Boîte de montre étanche, Gabus Frères Usines Safir, 1963/65).
18k gold · Cal. BM 12600 (Büren 1001A) · 33 jewels · mark №141 · patent CH395874
Baumatic, Felsa 692 Bidynator, c. 1950s
18K gold, c. 1950s. Felsa 692 Bidynator movement — an early bi-directional automatic winding calibre — with screw-down caseback, unusual for the period. Case signed “Baume & Mercier Genève” and stamped with the Hammerhead №141. Dealer listing attributes the case to Gabus Frères, Usines Safir.
18K gold · Felsa 692 Bidynator · screw-down back · mark №141 · case by Gabus Frères
Fancy Lugs
18K gold, 1950s, oversized 37mm case with distinctive fancy lugs. Silver dial with Art Deco-style gold Arabic numerals and applied gold dot hour markers, small seconds at 6. Dial, case and manual-winding movement all signed Universal Genève. Dealer listing shows the caseback stamped with the Hammerhead №141.
18K gold · 37mm · fancy lugs case · mark №141 · case by Gabus Frères
Classico Dress Watch, case 348314
18K yellow gold, 1950s. Manual-wind Cal. 1001, 33mm case, 43mm lug-to-lug. Silver dial, small seconds at 6, applied baton indices. Dial, case and movement all signed. Screw-down caseback stamped with the Hammerhead №141. Dealer listing (TrustOnTime) attributes the case to Gabus Frères.
18K gold · 33mm · Cal. 1001 · mark №141 · case by Gabus Frères
Ref. 4515 “Fancy Lugs,” c. 1935–early 1940s
18K gold, fancy-lug case. Caseback stamped Genève (R) Suisse, Rolex, 18K 750, reference 4515, and the Hammerhead №141. Movement: Rolex Chronometer, cal. 6872, 18 rubies, “Patented Superbalance.” Case maker identified on the Watchuseek collector forum as Gabus Frères, Le Locle.
18K gold · Cal. 6872 · mark №141 · case by Gabus Frères
Ref. 50701 Military, 1945
14k yellow gold, 32mm, c. 1945. Manual-wind calibre 263, an early version of the Marc Favre-derived movement Universal used through the 1940s. Caseback photographed on the Watchuseek collector forum showing the Hammerhead №141, identifying the case as Gabus Frères work.
14k gold · 32mm · Cal. 263 · mark №141 · case by Gabus Frères
Slim Dress Pocket Watch, c. 1960
18ct gold open-faced dress pocket watch, 41mm and just 7mm thick. Silvered dial, gold batons, crown-wind calibre 318/3, movement no. 2245263. Case interior stamped 18K 750 with the Hammerhead №141. Catalogued by Cheffins, Cambridge, August 2024.
18ct gold · 41mm · Cal. 318/3 · mark №141 · case by Gabus Frères
Ref. 6904, case 406347, 1960s
18k yellow gold, 31.5mm, 7mm thick. Champagne dial signed Vacheron & Constantin Genève, applied baton indices, 18-jewel manual movement. Caseback interior stamped 18K 0.750 alongside the Helvetia head and the Hammerhead №141.
18k gold · 31.5mm · case no. 406347 · mark №141 · case by Gabus Frères
Guilloché Dress Watch, Cal. 454/5B, 1950s
Two-piece 18kt gold case with screw-down caseback — unusual moisture resistance for a 1950s dress watch. Hand-guilloché short-wave dial with hard-enamel inscriptions. Calibre 454/5B with indirect central seconds, swan-neck regulator and Côtes de Genève; VXN US import markings. Caseback carries the Hammerhead №141; attributed to Gabus Frères of Le Locle in a technical article by Lorologiese Fine Watches.
18kt gold · screw-down back · Cal. 454/5B · mark №141 · case by Gabus Frères
Jubilé 4000, 18K Gold, c. 1960s
18K yellow gold automatic, 34mm case, 43mm lug-to-lug. Matte silver dial with gold triangular indexes, dauphine hands and magnified date window. Made to commemorate Ulysse Nardin’s 4,000th chronometer certificate and usually seen in steel — rare in gold. Caseback carries the Hammerhead №141, identifying the case as Gabus Frères work.
18K gold · 34mm · automatic · mark №141 · case by Gabus Frères
Ref. 3167 Chronomètre, 1937
Two-tone 34mm case in 18kt yellow and rose gold — unusually large for 1937, when comparable watches ran nearer 30mm. Quartered gold dial, chronometer-rated movement, fixed 17mm lugs. Serial 42xxx, unpolished. Caseback carries the Hammerhead №141; a dealer listing (The Time Curator) attributes the case to Gabus Frères of Le Locle.
18kt yellow and rose gold · 34mm · chronometer · mark №141 · case by Gabus Frères
J.F. Bautte Wristwatch
14K gold rectangular case with stepped hooded lugs, silvered dial with applied Arabic numerals and sub-seconds at 6 — Deco styling, 1920s–30s. The interior caseback is signed “Bautte Swiss” and carries the №141 mark beneath the 14K 0.585 fineness box and case number 104846. Girard-Perregaux acquired the Bautte business in 1906 and carried the name in its registered title thereafter. The dial is signed “Pierre Grange,” a brand absent from the Swiss registers but recorded in the American trade in 1939.
14K gold · rectangular case · mark №141 · case by Gabus Frères
Ref. 3070
18ct gold pocket watch, Ref. 3070, case No. 1008848, 45mm, manual-wind. Dial signed “Rolex, The Alex. Clark Co., London” — the page’s first English-retailer-signed example. Interior caseback carries the R.W.C.Ltd oval, 18/750 Swiss hallmarks, the full Rolex Geneva signature, and the №141 mark. Goudwisselkantoor Veilingen, October 2026.
18ct gold · pocket watch · mark №141 · case by Gabus Frères
For the fuller auction history behind these pieces, see Sightings.
This selection prioritizes strength of documentation and variety of maisons. It is not a complete census. Additional attributions remain under active research.