Important Collectors’ Wristwatches Po...

Geneva, Hotel Des Bergues, Oct 21, 1995

LOT 1

George Smith Fecit, circa 1610. Highly important and very fine gold, enamel and diamond pendant watch.

CHF 18,000 - 22,000

C. Elliptical, two body, the band of bombé form decorated with white crescent designs on a black ground, mounted with eleven diamond-set gold motifs secured by pins on the interior of the case. Back and hinged cover set with gold and diamond motifs of matching design. Interior of cover centred with turquoise enamel within a border of blue translucent enamel on a flinqué ground, the interior of the back with turquoise counter enamel in the centre. Loose-ring pendant. D. Gold dial plate decorated in champlevé enamel with a scene of Jonah being swallowed by the whale, the storm winds represented by winged cherubs above, the centre with a trophy of arms. Black enamelled Roman and Arabic numerals for XII and 24 hours. Single bluedsteel tulip hand. M. Oval gilt brass plates with turned balluster and plain two-arm steel balance. Irregular pierced and engraved with floral decoration, cock, secured by a pin, the ratchet wheel set-up with matching click cock and blued-steel spring. Signed on the backplate. In very good condition. Dim. 50 x 31 mm.


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Notes

Note: The extraordinary richness of the case of this watch defines it as more of a jewel than a functional time-keeper, and indeed both docks and watches were considered as important status symbols at this period, notably when their decoration represented the highest level of the goldsmith's and jeweller's arts. Surviving watches in enamel and jewel-set cases from this period are exceptionally rare, the majority of the examples being of German origin. According to surviving inventories Queen Elizabeth I owned more than twenty-five gold, enamel and often jewel-set watches, which would tend to indicate that a fair number of such "jewels" were originally owned by the wealthiest of her courtiers. That so few have survived is explained by the fact that they were considered as monetary instruments and probably many of the finest items were sold to raise funds for the Royalist cause during the Civil War.