Important Collectors’ Wristwatches, P...

Hong Kong, Apr 23, 2006

LOT 416

?The Temple? Scherer & Fils, probably Geneva, No. 1329. Made for the Chinese market, circa 1815. Very fine and very rare, 18K yellow gold and painted on enamel pocket watch with automata and quarter repeating on two bells incorporated within the movement.

HKD 300,000 - 400,000

USD 40,000 - 50,000 / EUR 32,000 - 43,000

Sold: HKD 531,000

C. Two-body, ?Directoire?, polished. D. White enamel with Breguet numerals, outer minute track and Arabic quarter-hour numerals. Gold Breguet hands. The automaton dial decorated with a very finely painted on enamel scene of an Asian river landscape, the foreground with applied multicolored gold Chinese figures appearing to strike two bells above and at the side of a gold temple housing two potted plants and a scroll, a pair of doves on a balustrade to the side, the base depicting a dog worrying a bird beneath an aperture under the temple revealing the balance wheel. M. 48 mm., frosted gilt, crescent shaped back plate with two bells sunk into the movement, flared cylindrical pillars, going barrel under the bells, cylinder escapement, three-arm balance, pierced, chased and engraved balance cock, flat blued steel balance spring, index regulator in the bezel. The bells scratch signed Scherer & Fils. Movement scratch numbered. Diam. 56 mm.


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Grading System
Grade: AAA

Excellent
Case: 3

Good
Movement: 3*

Good

Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense
Dial: 3-23-01

Good

Later

HANDS Original

Notes

The movement of the present watch is a rare type where the two stacked bells are sunk into the movement. Most of the few watches known to exist fitted with similar movements, carry the signature of the Genevan watchmakers Chevalier & Cochet. However, other examples have been discovered variously signed by Pepin, Genève; Moricand, Genève; Bordier & Cie, Genève; and now the present watch ? Scherer & Fils. It was not known which maker actually invented this type of movement until the discovery of the scratched signature ?Inventé par Antoine Rojard? on the movement of the watch by Bordier & Cie sold by Antiquorum, Geneva, October 16, 2005, Lot 245. The movement of the present watch is a variation of this documentary piece indicating that it was likely to have been made in the workshops of Rojard for Scherer.