John Charlton in King Street, circa 1635. Very fine and rare silver mounted rock-crystal watch with solid silver movement. | Important Collectors Wristwatches Pocket Watches & Clocks | Geneva, Hotel Des Bergues, 21st October 1995

Important Collectors Wristwatches Po...

Geneva, Hotel Des Bergues, Oct 21, 1995

LOT 6

John Charlton in King Street, circa 1635. Very fine and rare silver mounted rock-crystal watch with solid silver movement.

CHF 100,000 - 120,000

Sold: CHF 115,000

C.Two body, silver front frame only with chevron engraved border, hinged to pierced and engraved mounting brackets with loose-ring pendant and button finial. Octagonal faceted rock crystal cover and back. D. Silver champlevé chapter ring with Roman numerals, applied on the silver octagonal dial plate florally engraved with a small landscape to the centre. M. Hinged oval, silver full plate with early pierced Egyptian pillars, three wheel train, fusee with gut-line, verge escapement, two-arm steel balance without spring, irregular silver florally pierced and engraved cock secured by a screw, ratchet wheel set-up with matching cock. Signed on the back plate. In very good condition. Dim. 43 x 24 mm.

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Notes

Note: Watches with the whole movement and the case constructed entirely of silver are exceptionally rare, regardless of their date of origin. Apparently only four surviving examples from the 17th Century are known and the watch now offered for sale is the sole example of English manufacture. Details of the other three are: 1) A cruciform watch by J. Troyons, Poitiers, with double barrel and fusee, calendar work and case engraved by François Bobinet, mentioned as being the property of the abbess of Poitiers, c. 1630. Gschwind Foundation, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Basle. 2) A very similar watch to the above but with a conventional movement and dial, by the same maker c. 1630. Private collection. 3) Lobed circular watch by François Hubert, Rouen, with silver and silver-gilt components, the case engraved with zodiac signs around the cover. c. 1630. Gschwind Foundation, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Basle. See Catalogue of French Watches, 1580-1680, Basle, 1983, No 15. For the significance of silver as a symbol of purity see the note to lot 4.