The Mondani Collection of Rolex Wrist...

Geneva, May 14, 2006

LOT 829

?Diamond & Ruby Bouquet? Henry Grandjean & Cie. (Le Locle), Swiss, made for Marcks & Co. Ltd., Bombay & Poona, No. 1007. Made in Switzerland for the Indian Market, circa 1900. Very fine and rare, Grande and Petite Sonnerie, heavy 18K gold, diamond, ruby, pearl and enamel keyless doublebarrel clockwatch with minute-repeat and chronograph, sold to the Sixth Nizam of Hyderabad, Mahbub Ali Khan (reigned 1869 ?1911).

CHF 80,000 - 120,000

EUR 50,000 - 75,000 / USD 60,000 - 90,000

Sold: CHF 118,000

C. Four-body, ?bassine et filets?, the band, pendant and bow chased and engraved with oval and stylized leaf decoration, the front and back covers set with diamonds and rubies in an Indian geometric pattern on a dark green guilloché enamel ground, pearl-set borders. Hinged gold cuvette. D. White enamel with radial Roman numerals, outer minute track and concentric seconds track with fifth of a second divisions, Arabic five minute/seconds numerals, subsidiary seconds. Blued steel ?spade? hands. M. 17???, frosted gilt, threequarter plate, two-train with tandem winding, counterpoised straight line lever escapement, cut bimetallic compensation balance, white metal Breguet balance spring, index regulator, striking the quarters and repeating on gongs via a trip-slide in the band, strike/silent, quarters only/full strike and hand setting levers in the bezel, chronograph button in the band. Dial, case and movement signed. Diam. 52 mm. To be sold without reserve


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Grading System
Grade:
Case: 3-41

Good

Repolished, edges preserved
Movement: 3*

Good

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

Good

HANDS Original

Notes

Marcks & Co., Bombay & Poona. Was the most prestigious luxury goods store in India. Its major supplier was Henri Grandjean, who made very high quality watches. The company specialized in "Grande Complication" watches, watches with perpetual calendar, independent seconds with diablotine, chronographs, repeaters, clockwatches, and tourbillons. Their watch cases were usually highly and ornately decorated, often with enamels, precious and semi-precious stones, in the manner that was so appreciated on the Indian market. Henry Grandjean. Along with Constant Girard (later Girard-Perregaux), Henry Grandjean was one of the first to enter the South American Market. He was also, along with Ulysse Nardin, one of the first to establish a marine chronometer manufacturing business in Switzerland as well as being an initiator of the Neuchâtel Observatory. In 1851, at the first Universal Exposition in London, Grandjean received a First Class medal. His list of medals continues until 1868, the year in which the company won an award for its marine chronometers. In the meantime, they also received at least eight different awards, not including those from the Observatory of Neuchâtel. Henry died in 1879 but it appears that the company continued for the next twenty years until 1899, the year in which Rossel & Fils registered their name as successors, (they had most likely running the company during those 20 years). On January 9, 1908 Rossel & Fils transferred the title to Charles-Ferdinand Perret.