Important Collectors’ Wristwatches, P...

Geneva, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Du Rhône, May 13, 2007

LOT 488

?Half-Quarter Repeating, Center Seconds, Coteau Dial? Mudge & Dutton, London, No. 837. Made circa 1760. Very fine and extremely rare, 18K gold pair-cased, center-seconds, dumb half-quarter repeating pocket watch with à tact option, date, painted on ivory portrait miniature glazed with rock crystal and enamel dial by Joseph Coteau.

CHF 14,000 - 18,000

EUR 9,000 - 11,000 / USD 11,000 - 15,000

Sold: CHF 20,060

C. Outer: Two-body, engraved with stiff-leaf decoration, the back set with a finely painted on ivory portrait miniature of a lady and her son, glazed with rock crystal. Inner: two-body ?bassine?, polished, punched with ?M.D? Master mark, two screwed blocks for the repeat. D. White enamel signed on the reverse ?Coteau?, with radial Roman numerals, outer minute/seconds track and Arabic five minute numerals, inner ring for days of the week, secured by two screws. Pierced gold hour and minute hands, blued steel center seconds hand, polished steel date hand. M. 35 mm., hinged gilt brass, full-plate with conical pillars, fusee with chain, cylinder escapement, plain steel three-arm balance, flat balance spring, diamond endstone, gilt brass two-footed cock pierced and engraved with scrolling foliage, finely engraved backplate furniture, silver regulation disc, all-or-nothing dumb half-quarter repeating, the hammers striking on the case activated by depressing the pendant, à tact lever between 7 and 8, silence lever at 9, gilt brass dust ring. Movement signed. Diam. 49 mm. Property of an Italian Collector


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Grading System
Grade: AAA

Excellent
Case: 3-47

Good

Period crown
Movement: 3*

Good

Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense
Dial: 3-01

Good

HANDS Original

Notes

The present watch (lot 488) was perhaps made for export or ?improved? by a French maker, possibly for an English owner living in Paris. Several things suggest this: the case has no English hallmarks but does have Paris ones, and Gros charge marks used between 1762 and 1768 on imported goods. The dial is signed by Joseph Coteau (1740-1801), the most eminent French enameler of the 18th century; dials signed by him are extremely rare. The movement, certainly English-made, has an unusual double-footed cock in the continental manner. The fine miniature on ivory set in the back of the case is almost certainly after a full-sized painting, probably by Sir Joshua Reynolds and perhaps belonging to the watch?s original owner. This miniature may have served to remind the watch?s owner of his family while he was abroad.

Thomas Mudge (1715-1794)
One of the first makers to produce constant-force watches, was in partnership with William Dutton from 1755 to 1790. In 1765 he and Larcum Kendall were appointed to examine Harrison?s marine watch. In 1771 he retired to Plymouth, where he devoted himself entirely to research on marine chronometers.