Important Watches, Wristwatches and C...

Geneva, Hotel Des Bergues, Oct 12, 1996

LOT 369

Ilbery, London, No. 5936, made for the Chinese Market, the enamel probably by Richter, circa 1810. Very fine 18K gold and enamel watch with special escapement.

CHF 33,000 - 38,000

Sold: CHF 34,500

C. Three body, the bezels with red and blue champleve enamel decoration, the back enamel panel painted with a very fine painted lake-side landscape after Vernet, with fishermen in rowing boats on the foreground, small village and mountains on the back, outer blue champleve enamel decoration (almost invisible restorations). Gold engine-turned fixed dome. D. White enamel with Roman numerals and subsidiary seconds (slightly restored). Gold arrow hands. M. Hinged gilt brass full plate with cylindrical pillars, going barrel, single wheel duplex escapement, plain polished steel five-arm balance, flat balance spring with regulator and diamond end-stone. Gilt brass cock chased with flowers and scrolled foliage. Gilt brass dust cap. Signed on the back plate. In very good condition. Diam. 59 mm.


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Notes

Due to the quality of the painting and the colours used, the enamel can be attributed to Richter who was often inspired by the work of Vernet. Jean Louis Richter (1766-1841) He learned his art under David-Etienne-Roux and Philippe- Samuel-Theodore Roux, becoming a most renowned enamel painter. His speciality was the painting of landscapes and particularly lake and marine scapes, often representing ships in a harbour or battles with fighting Men-of-War. He also painted portraits and hunting scenes. Although it may happen that his signature, in running hand-writing, appears on some of his work, more often than not his pantings are unsigned but can clearly be recognised as being in his hand from the style and quality of the work. He applied his art principally to watch cases and snuff boxes and these were largely destined for the Chinese, Turkish, British and Italian markets. Richter, like other great enamel painters of the time, often found inspiration for his work from paintings or engravings by the artists then in fashion, such as Van der Myn (1684- 1741), Joseph Vernet (1714-1789), Giovanni Battista Cipriani (1727-1785), John Francis Rigaud (1742-1820), John Hoffner (1748-1810) and Francesco Bartolozzi (1727-1815), or even from particularly famous scenes such as the "Rape of Helen" from the engraving by Guido Reni (1575-1642), now in the Cabinet des Estampes, Paris.