The Sandberg Watch Collection

Hotel Richemond, Geneva, Mar 31, 2001

LOT 207

'H', maker's mark, central or eastern European, end-16th century.Very fine and extremely rare, oval, iron-cased, single-hand watch.

CHF 20,000 - 30,000

USD 12,000 - 18,000

C. Two-body, 'fermée' type, domed back and the band with chased decoration in relief representing strawberries and foliage, front cover pierced with 12 radial openings in the shape of a gothic rosette, unusual rope-twist pendant, loose ring. D. Silver, circular, with outer Roman chapters, inner Arabic scale from 13 to 24 in German characters, the centre engraved with a sunburst pattern. Iron 'lozenge' hand. M. Oval, 33 x 39.5 mm, gilt brass full plate, three square baluster pillars, fusee and chin with four turns, five-wheel train (6,6,5,5-leaf pinions), first and second wheels with separate bridge on the pillar plate, verge escapement, foliot with hog's bristle regulator, small, gilt brass S-shaped cock with engraved birds' heads.Dim. 49 x 37 mm. Published in the Sandberg book, pages 32-33.


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Grading System
Grade:
Case: 3 - 7 - 8
Movement: 3 - 7 - 8*
Dial: 3 - 04

Notes

William Anthonyborn about 1765, William Anthony worked in Red Lion Street, St John's Square, Clerkenwell, where he made high class, decorative watches for the Chinese market. Characteristic of his production are watches with oval dials and hands which are jointed so as to adjust automatically to the changing radius of the dial as they travel round. As a successful tradesman, Anthony played an active part in the founding of the Watch- and Clock-makers' Benevolent Association in 1815, but thereafter suffered a sries of losses following unsuccessful litigation with Grimaldi Lot Johnson and an ill-fated attempt to set up a commercial exhibition in the Somerset Gallery, Strand, of Commonwealth and Stuart costume displayed on wax models. He died in straitened circumstances in 1844 having forgotten to collect rents from tenants in his properties for the previous twenty years.This and the following lot are fine examples from a small group of eight-day going oval watches, made for the Chinese market. Anthony is known to have delivered a small number to the Chinese Court in Peking. Like many of the finest, decorative watches destined for the Chinese market, some were made in pairs. It is exceptionally rare for one of these pairs to have survived together until today. The above lot is only the second known to date.