The Sandberg Watch Collection

Hotel Richemond, Geneva, Mar 31, 2001

LOT 82

HebeAttributed to Jaquet-Droz, the enamel painting attributed to the workshop of Abraham Lissignol, circa 1790.Extremely fine and very rare 18 ct. gold and enamel, pearl- and ruby-set double train, three-tune musical repeating watch with centre seconds and stop feature, made for the Chinese market.

CHF 0 - 0

USD 0 - 0

Sold: CHF 267,500

C. Three-body, both covers spring-loaded. The back very finely painted with Hebe giving a drink of nectar to Jupiter's eagle, taken from an engraving by Francesco Bartolozzi (1725 - 1815) after a painting by Angelica Kauffmann (1741 - 1807).The painting surrounded by a blue enamel frame set with graduated half pearls in a foliate pattern, with red enamel for the flowers, half pearl-set bezels, case band pierced and engraved. D. White enamel, Roman chapters, outer minute ring and quarter second divisions for the centre seconds hand. Gold Breguet hands with cutout tips. M. 50mm o, gilt brass three-quarter plate to allow for the five bells, cylindrical pillars, going barrel, cylinder escapement, brass escape wheel, plain three-arm bras balance, flat balance spring, continental cock pierced and engraved with six symmetrical tulips, stop lever at two o'clock.Five-wheel musical train finished with a fly wheel, going barrel, pinned cylinder, five hammers striking on five bells, hammers spring-loaded with adjustments to assure the correct strength of the blows, cam-type mechanism with three steps, enabling the change of tunes. Plays on demand by pressing the push button on the top.Diam. 60 mm. Published in the Sandberg book, page 250-251.


LOADING IMAGES
Click to full view
Image
Grading System
Grade:
Case: 2

Very good
Movement: 2*

Very good

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

Notes

A watch whose movement has similar characteristics is published in La Montre Chinoise, Alfred Chapuis, plate after page 60.Hebe,the daughter of Zeus and Hera, was the Greek goddess of Youth. She was a cupbearer to the gods. Her father's love affairs were lively and complicated; he often had to resort to metamorphosis to escape his wife's jealousy, becoming, for instance an eagle, while abducting Ganymede whom he brought to Olympus and made cup bearer, thus taking Hebe's place. Since Hebe represents youth and beauty, in seventeenth century England, portraying a woman as Hebe was a way of honouring the model's beauty.Jean Abraham Lissignol,born in Geneva on May 1749, died in Plainpalais on June 28, 1819. One of the best enamel painters of the later part of the eighteenth century, he was the pupil of Jean-Marc Roux and later became his partner. He specialised in decorating enamelled snuffboxes and watch cases, working for Jaquet-Droz, Leschot, the Rochat brothers, and John Rich.'Dictionnaire des Horlogers Genevois', Osvaldo Patrizzi, Antiquorum Editions, Geneva, 1998.Jaquet-DrozFor a biography, see page 118.