Important Collectors’ Wristwatches, P...

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

LOT 499

?La Belle France? Swiss. Made for the French market, circa 1820. Fine and unusual, quarter-repeating, 18K gold and champlevé enamel, watch decorated with a map of France.

CHF 22,000 - 27,000

EUR 14,000 - 17,000 / USD 18,000 - 22,000

C. Four-body, "Empire", the back decorated with a green and white champlevé enamel map of France, bezels and band with green champlevé enamel in a repeated leaf and flower pattern, gold locking bolt at 1 o'clock for the repeat Hinged gold cuvette. D. White enamel, radial Roman numerals, outer minute track. Gold ?spade? hands. M. 49 mm., frosted gilt, three-quarter plate, cylinder escapement, three-arm gold balance with flat balance spring, repeating mechanism set on the back plate, repeating on gongs activated by depressing the pendant. Diam. 55 mm. Property of an Italian Collector


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Grading System
Grade: AA

Very good
Case: 3-61

Good
Movement: 3-9*

Good

Scratched

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

Good

HANDS Original

Notes

Enameled maps are rare. Breguet made a few, several others are known to have been made for the Oriental market. The making of them was a painstaking job. First an engraver had to chisel out the gold, leaving the names of towns and rivers, etc. Then the enameler filled in the reserved space with enamels, leaving the outlines and place names in gold.