Important Collector's Watches, Pocket...

Geneva, Nov 11, 2007

LOT 173

The Mandolin Player Attributed to Barbezat-Baillot, Locle, Swiss, No. 83744. Made for the Chinese market, circa 1900. Very fine and rare, minute-repeating, 18K gold and polychrome enamel, pearl-set, keyless pocket watch with chronograph.

C. Four-body, bassine et filets with split pearl-set bezels, the band with translucent green champlevé enameled decoration and gold stylized leaves, the back panel decorated with a polychrome enamel scene of two ladies, one playing a mandolin, in a rustic landscape against a translucent green guilloché enamel ground. Hinged gold cuvette, the border engraved with foliate decoration. D. White enamel with radial Roman numerals, outer minute track and fifths of a second chronograph divisions, Arabic five minute/seconds numerals, subsidiary seconds. Gilt brass paste-set hands. M. 19???, gilt brass, 23 jewels, straight-line lever escapement, cut bimetallic compensation balance, blued steel Breguet balance spring, repeating on gongs activated by a button in the band, centrifugal governor, chronograph with visible work, button on the winding crown. Diam. 53 mm.