The Sandberg Watch Collection

Hotel Richemond, Geneva, Mar 31, 2001

LOT 377

Hector's DepartureUnsigned, No. 9823, enamel attributable to the workshop of J-L. Richter, Geneva, circa 1820.Magnificent and rare 18 ct. gold and enamel, graduated pearl-set quarter repeating watch with centre seconds, made for the Chinese market.

CHF 50,000 - 60,000

USD 30,000 - 35,000

Sold: CHF 89,300

C. Four-body, the spring-loaded back cover with a very finely painted enamel scene depicting Hector's departure for the Trojan War, after Jean Restout II (1692-1768). The hero takes leave of his wife Andromache and his son Astyanax on the eve of battle at the start of the Trojan War. The bezels with a rope-twist design of alternating pearls and translucent red enamel over a flinqué ground, the band with alternating groups of half pearls and dark blue enamel, the gold hinged cuvette finely decoraed with a flower basket in red, yellow, dark blue enamels and gold on an azure enamel ground, the pendant and bow decorated with enamel and set with half pearls. D. White enamel, Roman chapters, outer minute and fifth second ring with 15-minute/seconds Arabic numerals. Blued-steel 'lozenge' hands. M. 46.8 mm o, gilt brass fully engraved bridge calibre, 6 jewels, free-standing barrel, cylinder escapement, gold three-arm balance, blued-steel flat balance spring, striking on gongs by depressing thependant.Diam. 59 mm. Published in the Sandberg book, pages 322-323.


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Grading System
Grade:
Case: 2

Very good
Movement: 2*

Very good

Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense
Dial: 2 - 01

Notes

Richter Jean-Louis (1766-1841)He learned his art under David-Etienne-Roux and Philippe-Samuel-Théodore Roux, becoming a most renowned enamel painter. His speciality was the painting of landscapes and particularly lakeside and marine-scapes, often representing ships in a harbour or battles with fighting Men-of-War, but, on occasion, also portraits and hunting scenes. He did not often sign his work, but it is clearly recognised as being in his hand from the style and quality of the painting. He applied his art principally to wtch cases and snuff boxes and these were largely destined for the Chinese, Turkish, British and Italian markets. In 1828 he was in partnership with Aimé-Julien Troll (1781-1852) and one can find work signed Richter et Troll.Richter, like other great enamel painters of the time, often found inspiration for his work from paintings or engravings by the artists then in fashion, Van der Myn (1684-1741), Giovanni Battista Cipriani (1727-1785), John Francis Rigaud (1742-1820), John Hoffner (1748-1810) and Francesco Bartolozzi (1727-1815), or even from particularly famous scenes such as the 'Rape of Helen' from the engraving by Guido Reni (1575-1642), now in the Cabinet des Estampes, Paris.