The Sandberg Watch Collection

Hotel Richemond, Geneva, Mar 31, 2001

LOT 10

Vertumnus and PomonaHuaut school enamel, circa 1700, movement by De Beaufre, London circa 1735.Very fine and rare 20 ct. gold and enamelled copper pair-cased watch.

CHF 30,000 - 40,000

USD 18,000 - 24,000

C. Outer: two-body, glazed on both sides, the front bezel with scrolls alternating with a posy of flowers, the back bezel with cornucopia, urns and scrolls. Inner: two-body, 'bassine', the back with a very fine enamel painted on copper, showing Vertumnus and Pomona, from an engraving by Cornelis Vermeulen (1644-1708/9) after Antoine Coypel (1661-1722), the band painted with four cartouches showing countryside landscapes, the enamel inside the back painted with a fisherman beside a peaceful riverand a house amongst trees on the far bank, small pendant, gold bow (later). D. Gold, champlevé Roman chapters with half-hour divisions, outer minute ring with five-minute Arabic numerals in polished cartouches. Blued-steel 'poker and beetle' hands. M. 34.4 mm o, hinged gilt brass full plate with round baluster pillars, fusee and chain, verge escapement, plain four-arm brass balance, double-footed cock pierced and engraved with scrolling foliage, pierced and engraved silver bracket for fuseestop lever.Signed on the movement.Diam. 42.4 mm, 48 mm with outer case. Published in the Sandberg book, page 104-105.


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Grading System
Grade: AAA

Excellent

Case: 4 - 11 - 18
Movement: 4 - 5 - 6*
Dial: 4 - 5 - 6 - 01

Notes

Pomonawas an exceptionally beautiful nymph, the guardian of fruits and gardens. Vertumnus fell in love with her but his love was unrequited. He metamorphosed into a plowman, a wine grower and finally, into an old woman. In this disguise he showed the nymph a vine shoot twining around an elm branch, whereupon they engaged in a discourse on love, the old woman pleading Vertumnus' cause. This convinced Pomona, and they married.See lot 264 for a discussion of the replacement of movements in important 17th century cases.