I agree with Jan that this bike can't seriously be compared to a Narcisse, a Charrel, a Camille Daudon, an Hugonnier Routens, a Rene Herse, or a good Alex Singer (I like the best AS, particularly the early bikes, but the qua lity is not always high in the later machines).
Check out for ex the fork top, the carriers, or the braze-ons for the Mafac cantilevers... A lot of Goeland bikes, the cheaper option of the time, sho w better workmanship than this. The bike is a mix of really nice features a nd not quite so nice.
It's an extremely interesting machine, and Nathan did well to buy it (and s hare the photos) because of the rarity, and the rather unusual features (ni ce lugs, internal cables). I really like the bike, and would love to have a closer look at it, but this is not in my opinion the work of an undiscover ed genius...
The cream does rise to the top, eventually... But it does take time...There ARE actually a few top makers of the past who aren't known of yet, because these bikes have only been studied for a few years now, the interest is re cent. I personally wouldn't put Philippe at the top.
Leave a few more years, and I think things will be clearer.
It's like in music, every now and then a young pianist announces the world premiere of some obscure contemporary of Chopin's whose manuscripts have ju st been discovered in an attic... Some of the music is interesting, but so far no genius has appeared out of the hat... And isn't likely to, IMHO
Alexander March Bordeaux France
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