Important Collectors’ Wristwatches, P...

Hong Kong,the Ritz Carlton Hotel,harbour Room, 3rd Floor, Nov 25, 2006

LOT 61

?Summer Bouquet? Bovet Fleurier, No. 491. Made for the Chinese market, circa 1840. Very fine, 18K gold, painted on enamel and pearl-set, center-seconds pocket watch with polished steel movement and duplex escapement.

HKD 110,000 - 140,000

USD 14,000 - 18,000 / EUR 11,000 - 14,000

Sold: HKD 153,400

C. Three-body, the band, pendant and bow with champlevé enameled decoration, the back enamel panel painted with a fine composition of summer flowers on a pale lilac ground. Hinged glazed gold-rimmed cuvette. D. White enamel with radial Roman numerals, outer minutes/seconds divisions, Arabic quarter hour numerals. Blued steel "ovoid" hands. M. Mirror-polished and blued steel, "Chinese" caliber with standing barrel, single wheel duplex escapement, bimetallic three-arm balance with wedge shaped blued steel weights, flat balance spring and index regulator. Movement signed. Diam. 57 mm.


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Grading System
Grade: AAA

Excellent

Case: 3-61

Good

Movement: 3*

Good

Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense

Dial: 2-01

Very good

HANDS Original

Notes

For a discussion of watches made for the Chinese market, see pages 196 - 201. Bovet A watchmaking dynasty founded by Edouard, Frédéric, Alphonse, Gustave, Charles-Henri, and Caroline Bovet, of Fleurier. In 1822, a Bovet partnership was founded for the Chinese watch trade in Canton. In 1840, Bovet Frères et Cie was established in Fleurier, and in 1864, the Bovet watch production was sold to Bovet?s manufacturing inspectors in Fleurier, Jules Jéquier and Ernest Bobillier, soon joined by Ami Leuba. In 1888, Bovet Frères was founded under the direction of Alexis Landry, who served his apprenticeship in Fritz Bovet?s workshop in Fleurier, producing ebauches for Chinese watches and silver cases. Alexis Landry formed a partnership with Albert and Jean Bovet, specializing in complicated watches and chronographs. In 1901, the Bovet trademark was acquired by César and Charles Leuba, sons of Ami Leuba. In 1918, Jacques Ullmann & Co. of La Chauxde- Fonds bought the Bovet brand from Leuba Brothers, and in 1948, Favre-Leuba took over the company and acquired the first production plant. In 1966 Favre-Leuba sold the Fleurier plant, and in 1989 Parmigiani acquired the Bovet name. A limited company registered as Bovet Fleurier S.A. was formed in 1990, using the Bovet trademark. In 1994, Roger Guye and a partner bought Bovet Fleurier S.A. and opened a branch in Geneva. Pascal Raffy became the majority shareholder and President in 2001. Today, Bovet timepieces are widely available in the world's major destinations. Eager to maintain its historical roots in the Far East, the company has subsidiaries in Hong Kong and Japan, and delivers its collection to select distributors in Singapore, Taiwan, the Middle East, Turkey, Russia, the United States, London, and Geneva.