Exceptional horologic works of art

Hotel Noga Hilton, Geneva, Oct 11, 2003

LOT 38

Morning Walk. Attributed to Jaquet Droz, Geneva, circa 1790. Magnificent and highly important 18K gold and enamel, pearl-set center-seconds form clockwatch, designed as an amphora.

CHF 0 - 0

EUR 0 - 0

Sold: CHF 223,500

C. Two-body, the spring-loaded back with a finely painted on enamel scene depicting a young couple under a tree outside the walls of a castle, accompanied by their sheep and a dog, roses in a hat on the ground, background of translucent imperial blue enamel over flinqué with white enamel foliate lower edge and gold wavy side edges underlined with white enamel, the front the same, with the watch dial in place of the painting, pearl-set bezel, graduated pearl-set garlands at the top with split pearl rosette in the center, octagonal tapered base decorated with azure, black and white champlevé enamel forming a geometrical pattern, pearl-set neck, the top en suite, pendant and bow in azure, black, and white champlevé enamel, pendant with push-button for opening the back cover, gold knob in front below the dial for strike/silence. Gold movement housing, two-body, oval, the spring-loaded back entirely decorated with crosshatched pattern of azure, black and white enamel with gold pierced edgefor the sound, three winding apertures for going train, clockwatch and setting, pierced and engraved band. D. White enamel, radial Roman numerals, outer minute track with five-minute Arabic markers. Blued steel "spear" hands. M. Oval, 61 x 43 mm, engraved gilt brass, both striking and going trains under circular engraved full plate with exception of the escapement and the 4th wheel which are set with separate bridges, cylinder escapement, three-arm brass balance with flat balance spring, large single cam with each of the 12 hour notches divided into three for quarters (1st quarter does not strike), striking on a bell, elastic suspension of the movement.Dim. Height 11.7 mm, width 62 mm


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Grading System
Grade:
Case: 3 - 52
Movement: 3*

Good

Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense
Dial: 2 - 01

Notes

This is an example of the type of magnificent object that the Jaquet Droz firm became famous for and which made their reputation and their fortune (in 1786 the son's personal fortune amounted to over 170,000 livres). The firm conquered the market for the highest quality luxury watches, musical snuff-boxes and singing birds. The present amphora affords a clear vision of their genius, and the art and the proficiency they showed in their craft.While any amphora is extremely rare, those made by Jaquet Droz are almost never seen. The best known amphora is probably the one sold by Antiquorum on April 13, 2002 for 3.6 million francs to a private collector; it was attributed to Piguet & Capt. Its pendant piece is in the Patek Philippe Museum. The Louvre Museum has an amphora by Duchene/Chaumont.The present amphora, not only magnificent and rare, is also important from a historical point of view. Its mechanism is mounted on an elastic suspension. This type of suspension (of a slightly different construction) usually characterizes the work of the enigmatic figure of the famous John Rich. The present watch indicates that John Rich, or his partner Decombaz, might have worked for Jaquet-Droz. This would explain sometimes striking similarities between the work of the two firms. The construction of the watch leaves little doubt that it is the work of Jaquet-Droz; the whole striking mechanism is based on a single cam, which was Jaquet Droz's favorite system. The movement is oval - the Jaquet Droz were the first to introduce oval-shaped watches destined for the Chinese market (subsequently William Anthony) also made several pairs of oval watches for the same market. The use of center seconds was also very characteristic of Jaquet-Droz. Pierre Jaquet Droz was the first in Switzerland to introduce Lepine calibre in his movements, again, this watch shows the beginning of this trend.