c. 1700
Pierre Fardoil Adding Machine & Watch / Time Piece
I am half owner of this Rare 18th Century early Pierre Fardoil Adder / Adding Machine and Fardoil Watch / Time Piece.
I am offering for sale my entire 1/2 ownership in this rare 18th c. Fardoil adder or a portion of it as a partnership.
Here is the history of this rare piece of calculation history --- please read on.
The Fardoil adder is one of the earliest and rarest 18th century calculation devices known. The 2 pieces pictured are the very same Fardoil Adder / Adding Machine and Fardoil Pocket Watch that sold for approx. $74,000 at the Auction-Team Breker sale about 10 years ago.
Here is a web address to that auction result and the original write-up that can be found online: www.liveauctioneers.com/item/36708195_the-adding-machine-of-pierre-fardoil-c-1700 . The same two pieces are currently listed for sale on my partner's website for $74,000 or so.
This Fardoil adder was bought in upstate NY prior to the Breker auction from a private party. This Fardoil adder is one of only two known, and could be the only example if it is the same one that the French Musee des Arts et Metiers (CNAM), the French State Museum, has expressed an ownership right to. CNMA claimed their Fardoil adder was "lost", stolen, or otherwise disappeared from their collection when it was on display in the US during 1939 New York World's Fair.
At the Breker auction the high bidder for the Fardoil Adder was Professor Korte from the University of Bonn. He was bidding to acquire it for the Arithmeum museum in Bonn, Germany. The high bidder backed out from finalizing the Breker auction sale due in part to the CNAM claim. The underbidder also backed away.
The two Fardoil pieces were then returned to the consignors---myself and the other 1/2 owner, Peter Frei an antique dealer based in Massachusetts. He is my ex-friend and current partner in the two pieces. He is currently in possession of both pieces.
Peter Frei and I had been partners in numerous technology-related antiques prior to having a falling out. Our friendship ended one day over a situation concerning an antique sewing machine I had paid for that we were 50 / 50 partners on. Peter entered into an agreement with a 3rd party offering him 50% to sell it without consulting or discussing that decision with me.
His deal with a 3rd party made me a 25% junior partner. When I questioned his decision, Peter in a fit of faux rage declared we were no longer friends and that our partnership was over. There is more to this story that is irrelevant to this sale and does not need to be retold here.
What should be told is the story of who first found the adder---that would be me---and details surrounding that event.
The sellers of the Fardoil lived in upstate NY. They contacted me first and I made an appointment to go see it. They told me that the adder had been "found" in New York, and the now deceased "finder" had been a caretaker / custodian / groundskeeper / employee when he "found" it. The family told me they had had it appraised at Sotheby's or Christies auction house for approx. 5K. I offered to purchase it, from them, for the same amount in cash.
The family initially said no, but months later called me and said they were ready to sell the Fardoil. As I was back in CA by that time I called Peter and enlisted him to go and get it. I offered him to be 50/50 partners on the Fardoil. He agreed and went and got it. We split the cost 50/50. He later bought the Fardoil watch and we split the cost of that as well.
For various reasons Peter handled consigning the Fardoil to Breker's Auction. The Breker auction failed after the French Musee des Arts et Metiers / CNAM cast doubt on the rightful ownership of the Fardoil and the Arithmeum backed out of the sale.
After the auction failed to produce a sale Peter attempted to market the Fardoil to the under bidder and other parties including offering it to the under bidder. Those attempts failed. Later the CNAM made a relatively low offer, not to purchase the Fardoil, but rather as compensation for us having found it and returning it. That offer was rejected.
Then something akin to the storyline in Lord of the Rings began to unfold, and the "my precious" concept began to take hold. Much like with Gollum and his "my precious" in the Lord of the Rings story, Peter, despite saying he was ready to sell, and that he wanted to sell the Fardoil, could not bear to let it go, or have it leave his hands.
The disclosure of these details is necessary because provenance / history of ownership of important historical pieces is vital to establishing and enhancing an objects value. In addition I want to insure there are no claims of non-disclosure or other problems down the road from a buyer of my 1/2 share or a new partner of a 50% share of my half share.
The attempts after the failed auction for Peter and I to settle up on the Fardoil should also be told so that potential parties interested in buying into a 1/2 share are fully informed and can better formulate a plan to finalize / force the sale with Peter.
After the failed auction and over the next 10 years Peter offered several proposals to resolve the Fardoil situation between us --- all in writing and documented---but then reneged on following through on every one of them. For the record, let's review some of those past proposals:
Immediately after the auction Peter wrote that if the high bidder or under bidder would not pay the original sale price it had brought at auction he would simply buy us out for 1/2 of the high bid, as we both felt it had not reached its full potential because of the French interference. He never followed through on that proposal, later claiming it was just a negotiation tactic. Despite the fact he was not negotiating with anyone at the time.
Shortly after Peter ended our friendship, and after the auction, he announced we would settle up over the Fardoil by having a private auction between us, with a third party holding the Fardoil until that process was complete. He reneged on that proposal shortly after, claiming he did not have enough money.
Peter next demanded we wait, and be patient, as the Fardoil was in his words, "burned" by the French, their claims, and the failed auction.
In 2019, 5 years after the auction and after numerous requests by us to resolve the situation, Peter said to wait one more year to see if he could sell it from his new website. In writing he said that if it did not sell from his website at the end of the 1 year period we would send it to auction again. He proposed that in writing and then reneged on that solution with no explanation or excuse.
Peter next suggested we should name a price he could buy us out at, with the stipulation that he would need 6 months to gather the money. A proposal that was neither fair nor equitable, but in the interest of ending this ordeal we proposed selling our half interest to him for $18K --- approx. 25% of the original sale price of $74K it had reached at the Breker auction. $18K equated to approx. half of what we were due had the auction succeeded---a reasonable offer by us to resolve this.
Peter rejected that offer outright saying he would never pay that amount, with no meaningful counter or further discussion. That was over 2 years ago, much longer than the 6 months he said would be needed to raise funds to buy us out, once again reneging on a proposal he himself put forward.
Most recently in Dec of 2024 we suggested listing it for sale on our two websites at a lower price, to give it more exposure and to further enhance its desirability and value. To do that we needed to discuss a price beforehand that we could both agree to. Peter declined, and instead wrote he alone would decide if he would agree to a lower price AFTER I found a buyer---a stupid and unworkable proposal not worth discussing further, and mentioned here only to illustrate the absurdity.
After all of that we have decided to sell our 1/2 share, or take on a new partner for our 1/2 share / half interest in the Fardoil. Our hope is that a qualified and interested 3rd party with a new or different approach or plan might be better able to deal with, or negotiate with, Peter better than I. I am going to try to make this simple, reasonable, and enticing with a lot of potential upside for the right interested party.
Here are my proposals. One option would be to purchase my 1/2 share ownership in it's entirety for $18K or some agreed to amount. Since that is unlikely to happen given the situation, I have a better alternative idea to present.
A second option would be for a qualified and acceptable individual, or entity to purchase a half share of my 1/2 share for a small upfront investment. In other words I will agree to split my 1/2 share proceeds of the final sale of the Fardiol with my new partner for a very small initial investment if presented with a workable plan that resolves this situation.
I am thinking the initial investment would be something on the order of 1K in return for the right to 25% of the total sale price---50% of my share of any final sale, after the sale is complete. A reasonable expectation would be, using the Breker auction result of 74K, a payout amount somewhere in the 18K range for each of us. We can make a gentleman's agreement to reflect this, or I will sign an acceptable legal agreement drawn up by the new partner, his lawyer or other represenative.
If the Breker sale price had been held down because of the French interference, the payout could be more if the Fardoil was again sent to auction and brings more than the 74K it brought the first time it sold. Or some uber wealthy party my new partner knows of pay even more in a private sale.
Another possibility is the French can step up with a new more reasonable offer. If the French were to enter into this partnership and then take their claim of full ownership to court, they could end up being declared the sole owner at little further cost.
This proposal for a half interest in the Fardoil would be a great deal for the right person or entity who thinks they can negotiate with Peter Frei, or otherwise close the deal or force a sale. Just think, a documented ownership in a rare probably one-of-a-kind and unique piece of calculation history for a fraction of its potential value!
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FARDOIL
Price . . . . . . $ TBD
To Order Email: patentedantiques@gmail.com
Type
I Curta Calculator Serial No. 45462 This
Type I Curta serial # is 45462. This Curta Calculator is in excellent condition and operates smoothly and
flawlessly. The body is very nice and shows little if any wear or tear. The
metal case has a two tone surface as if the top was stripped of its black
finish. Not sure why that is.
The Curta calculator was invented by Curt Herzstark while imprisoned in a German concentration camp during World War II. This interesting design calculator was the top of the line hand held manual calculator in its day and was immensely popular before the advent of the handheld electronic calculator which essentially made them obsolete in the 70's.
They were made up until about 1970 and all told about 150,00 both Type 1 & Type 2 models were made. They are highly collectible pieces of calculation history, and an important example of calculation technology in the scheme of things.
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LCM-CURT-45462
Good . . . . . $1000.00
To Order Email: patentedantiques@gmail.com
Type
II Curta Calculator 549950 This ad is for the Curta with
its original shipping box and paperwork in a plastic case. The serial # on this Type II Curta is 549950. This Type II Curta Calculator is in excellent
condition and operates smoothly and flawlessly. The body shows little if any wear or tear. The
plastic case
is very nice with little to no scuffs either. The outer cardboard shipping
box has some bug damage where the insects found the white lettering
something to go after. They did not make it inside, or get to the
included paperwork.The Curta calculator was invented by Curt Herzstark while imprisoned in a German concentration camp during World War II. This interesting design calculator was the top of the line hand held manual calculator in its day and was immensely popular before the advent of the handheld electronic calculator which essentially made them obsolete in the 70's.
They were made up until about 1970 and all told about 150,00 both Type 1 & Type 2 models were made. They are highly collectible pieces of calculation history, and an important example of calculation technology in the scheme of things.
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LCM-SCURT-549950
Fine. . . . . $2450.00
To Order Email: patentedantiques@gmail.com
Loga 30 R C Circular Slide Rule / Calculating Disc Also marked USTER - SCHWEIZ.
This Swiss made two-sided circular slide rule does it all. These came in
different models, and the 30 R C does all sorts of Business
related weight & measure conversions. It also does money
conversion. It looks like British monetary units are on the
outside rings on one side.
The instrument is 5 inches across. The case is 6 inches across. This is beautifully made and in Fine condition. It comes with the original, zippered leather pouch and a booklet of instructions. Also in Very Good condition.
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SR-LOGA
Fine . . . . . . $100.00
To Order Email: patentedantiques@gmail.com
K
& E / Keuffel & Esser Thacher's / Thatcher
Calculating Instrument Calculator / Slide Rule
15 Page Instruction Pamphlet All
original, not a reprint. I am not sure if this ever had a cover or not.
It is instructions and testimonials, 15 pages all told for an early Thacher
/ Thatcher calculator. I see no date, nor do I see a model number to
indicate if this predates K & E numbering their Thacher the 4100.
I think it is correct with 15 pages and was a supplemental, or quick guide,
as opposed to a full set of instructions. The condition is as seen.
Frayed w/ loose pages.
THACH-CAL-15
Fair . . . . . . $20.00
To Order Email: patentedantiques@gmail.com
