Important Modern & Vintage Timepieces

Geneva, May 14, 2017

LOT 225

"COUNTRY SERENADE" Edouard Juvet, Fleurier, No. 42350, the enamel probably Geneva. Made for the Chinese market, circa 1850. Very fine, 18K gold and painted on enamel pocket watch with duplex escapement and centre seconds.

CHF 80,000 - 140,000

HKD 640,000 - 1,120,000 / USD 80,000 - 140,000

Three-body, "Empire", the bezel decorated with red, black, blue and white enamel, sprung and hinged back cover with similar decorated border and finely painted on enamel scene of a seated shepherd playing a flute with a shepherdess and her female companion listening, in a wooded landscape with blue sky. Sprung and hinged gold cuvette. White enamel with radial Roman numerals and outer minutes/seconds track, Arabic quarter hour numerals. "Ovoid" hands. Gilt "Chinese" caliber, foliate chased and engraved, hanging barrel, duplex escapement, bimetallic compensation balance with wedge-shaped polished steel weights, index regulator. Movement signed.


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Grading System
Grade:
Case: 3-24

Good

Slightly chipped
Movement: 3*

Good

Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense
Dial: 3-01

Good

HANDS Original

Notes

DIAM. 58 mm. This subject is still painted on the same side on several watches (at least height) by Edouard Juvet, while on others of his contemporary pieces, decorated with other subjects, the scenes are in mirror images. The painted on the enamel scene decorating this watch owes its inspiration to the English romantic tradition of painting by such artists as William Hamilton (1751-1801), RA. Hamilton painted circa 1790 a series of pictures of the four parts of the day ("The Morning", "Noon", "The Evening" and "Night"), inspired by The Seasons of James Thompson (1700-1748), and engraved by Francesco Bartolozzi (1727-1815). Bibliography Tellier, Arnaud, & Didier, Mélanie, Le Miroir de la séduction, Prestigieuses paires de montres "chinoises" - The Mirror of Seduction, Prestigious pairs of "Chinese" Watches, Genève, Patek Philippe Museum, 2010 (the pair of the Musée L.U.CEUM - Traces du Temps, Chopard Manufactures S.A., Fleurier, NE). Similar Watches No. 41 975; Antiquorum, Hong-Kong, auction, July 9, 2005, lot 369, for the amount of HKD 322 000.- (including buyer's premium). No. 42 308; Antiquorum, Geneva, auction, October 14, 1990, lot 389, for the amount of CHF 43 700.- (including buyer's premium) No. 42 321 and No 42 322, Antiquorum, Hong-Kong, auction, April 22, 2006, lot 426, for the amount of HKD 637 200.- (including buyer's premium); Musée L.U.CEUM - Traces du Temps, Chopard Manufactures S.A., Fleurier (NE). No. 42 355; Antiquorum, Hong-Kong, auction, May 29, 1989, The van Cauwenbergh Collection, lot 567, unsold. No. 86 543; Antiquorum, Geneva, auction, April 11-12, 1992, lot 430, for the amount of CHF 32 200.- (including buyer's premium). No 41972; Sotheby's, London, November 13, 1967, lot 45, for the amount of GB£ 470.- (hammer price) or USD 1 136.-, to Dean Warburg Ltd..