Not signed (Ilbery), Swiss, made for the Chinese market, with London hallmarks for 1802. Extremely rare and fine 18 ct gold watch with solid gold coated movement and special escapement. | Important watches and collector's Wistwatches | Hong Kong, Victoria Hotel, 17th June 1994

Important watches and collector's Wis...

Hong Kong, Victoria Hotel, Jun 17, 1994

LOT 377

Not signed (Ilbery), Swiss, made for the Chinese market, with London hallmarks for 1802. Extremely rare and fine 18 ct gold watch with solid gold coated movement and special escapement.

HKD 350,000 - 400,000

CHF 70,000 - 80,000

Sold: HKD 510,600

C. Three body with scallop edges, internai borders, bezels, pendant and bow with champleve enamelled decoration, the back enamelled with a very fine painted scene depicting an officer "home from the war" (virtually invisible restoration on border). Hinged gold cuvette enamelled with champleve scrolls, birds and flowers on an azure ground (slightly restored). D. White enamel with Roman numerals and subsidiary seconds. Gold "spade" hands. M. brass, coated with a plate of solid pink gold, Chinese calibre fully engraved with scrolls of foliage, with free standing barrel and gold wheel train, single wheel duplex escapement, plain three-arm balance and flat balance spring. In very good condition. Diam. 59 mm.

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Notes

Although it is not signed, this watch can be attributed to William Ilbery who was the sole, at this period, to produce watches for the Chinese market, the movement with bridges and barrel covered overall with a plate of solid gold engraved with scrolled foliage. A similar movement, signed by Ilbery, from the G. Loup collection, is illustrated in A. Chapuis: La Montre Chinoise, Neuchâtel 1919, p. 182.