Hong Kong, Nov 26, 2022
LOT 313
DE CHARMES
PAIR CASE,QUARTER-REPEATER ON A BELL OR À TOC, REPOUSSÉDÉCOR SIGNED BY MD, 22K YELLOW GOLD
HKD 40,000 - 60,000
EUR 5,200 - 7,700 / CHF 5,100 - 7,600 / USD 5,100 - 7,700
Sold: HKD 62,500
22K yellow gold, open-face, key-winding, round-shaped, pair-cased pocket watch, with quarter-repeater by one hammer on one bell or à toc (activated by depressing the pendant;
à tact lever at 7 o’clock
22K yellow gold pair case in repoussé-technique showing a battle scene signed by MD, the
sides pierced to allow the sound of the bell to be heard and decorated with four vignettes
with trophies of arms. 22K yellow gold polished case, with, in the centre, engraved in taille-
douce (fine cute) a rosacea; the sides pierced and decorated with chimeras. Silver dust-
cover held by a blued steel spring.
22K yellow gold champlevé dial with radial Roman numerals; outer minute ring with five-
minute Arabic numerals in polished cartouches; blued steel “Poker & Beetle” hands.
à tact lever at 7 o’clock
22K yellow gold pair case in repoussé-technique showing a battle scene signed by MD, the
sides pierced to allow the sound of the bell to be heard and decorated with four vignettes
with trophies of arms. 22K yellow gold polished case, with, in the centre, engraved in taille-
douce (fine cute) a rosacea; the sides pierced and decorated with chimeras. Silver dust-
cover held by a blued steel spring.
22K yellow gold champlevé dial with radial Roman numerals; outer minute ring with five-
minute Arabic numerals in polished cartouches; blued steel “Poker & Beetle” hands.
| Grading System | |
|---|---|
Grade: AAA |
Excellent |
Case: 3-8 |
Good Slightly scratched |
Movement: 3* |
Good Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense |
Dial: 3-01 |
Good HANDS Original |
Brand DeCharmes, London
Year circa 1730-1740
Case No. unnumbered
Material 22K yellow gold
Diameter 46.8 mm. (protective case)
Caliber 15’’’, fusee and chain, verge escapement
Thickness 25.6 mm.
Weight 114 gr. (approx.)
Signature dial, movement and dust-cover
Accessories modern winding-key
Notes
The repoussé-work on this watch has remained in near mint condition.
--
De Charmes (or de Charmes or Decharmes), Simon and David
Simon De Charmes was a Frenchman and became a Free Brother of the Clockmakers’ Company in 1691 and it is thought that he remained an active watchmaker until about 1730, the approximate date of this watch.His son, David, was also a watchmaker of great repute. Among their production, we can mention some gold watches with repoussé décor:
· A watch.
Sotheby’s, London, auction, November 1st, 1965, lot 162.
Bibliography
Edgcumbe, Richard, The Art of the Gold Chaser in Eighteenth-Century London, Oxford University Press in association with the Victoria and Albert Museum, 2000, p. 165.
· Another one, probably made for the Dutch market; the repoussé scene depicting Ulysses and the Phaeacians.
Antiquorum, Geneva, auction, November 11, 2001, lot 279.
· Another one; the repoussé scene signed by John Valentine Haidt (1700-1780).
Sotheby’s, London, auction, December 15, 2016, lot 29.
Bibliography
Camerer Cuss,Terence, The English Watch 1585-1970, London, 2009, pp. 186-187, pl. 100.