The Sandberg Watch Collection

Hotel Richemond, Geneva, Mar 31, 2001

LOT 13

Flora and ZephyrWilliamson, London, the enamel painting attributable to the workshop of Jean Mussard V, Geneva,circa 1730.Very fine and unusual gilt metal brass and copper painted on enamel 'oignon' watch, made for theDutch market.

CHF 20,000 - 25,000

USD 12,000 - 15,000

Sold: CHF 21,850

C. Two-body, the back with a finely painted on copper enamel of Flora, the ancient Italian goddess of flowers, with her husband Zephyr, the west wind of Springtime. The scene is taken from an engraving by Benoît Audran (1661-1721) after a painting by Antoine Coypel (1661-1722). The enamel inside the case depicts a country residence with mountains in the background. The enamelled bezels with continuous landscapes. D. Gold, champlevé, Roman chapters with half-hour divisions, outer minute ring withArabic five-minute numerals, matted ground. Blued-steel 'beetle and poker' hands. M. 40.6 mm o, hinged gilt brass full plate with solid, unusually shaped pillars, fusee and chain, verge escapement, plain steel three-arm balance, Dutch-type, double-footed cock pierced and decorated with geometrical design, covered by a crystal, ruby endstone, pierced and engraved silver mask applied over the back plate, two regulator discs of blued-steel inlaid with gold setting numerals, rack and pinion regulatoactivated by the right disc.Signed on the dial and on the movement.Diam. 60 mm. Published in the Sandberg book, page 136-137.


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Grading System
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Case: 3 - 13
Movement: 3 - 5 - 6*
Dial: 3 - 6 - 01

Notes

Zephyr personified the breeze (the west wind).In Antiquity, the Winds played a crucial role in navigation. According to Ovid, Zephyr saw the nymph Chloris, fell hopelessly in love with her, raped her, and finally married her. He made her a ruler over the kingdom of flowers and she became known as Flora as a result.Mussard Jean V (1681 - 1754)One of the best enamel painters of the beginning of the 18th century, he began his career as a goldsmith and became a Master on December 7, 1699. He later became a painter on enamel, in which discipline he was influenced by the style of the Frères Huaud. He went into partnership with his son Jean-Antoine and trained several pupils, among them Gabriel Fontaine, André Oettner, and in 1712, Germain Colladon. Two of his best-known subjects are the Roman Charity and a Religious Scenes. His signatureppears as: 'Mussard', 'Jean Mussard pinx', Mussard pinx'.Bibliography: 'Dictionnaire des Horlogers Genevois' by Osvaldo Patrizzi, Antiquorum Editions, Geneva, 1998.