Important Collectors' Wristwatches, P...

Hong Kong, Jun 27, 2009

LOT 379

Mirror Image Pair - Farewell to the Beloved Swiss, Geneva, movement Nos. 1829 & 1830, the case of the left-hand watch (A), No. 5219, the right-hand watch (B) No. 5220. Made for the Chinese market circa 1830, and attributed to the Frères Oltramare. Extremely fine and very rare, mirror-image pair of 18K gold and painted on enamel, pearl-set center seconds, musical, quarterrepeating pocket watches playing music on the hour or at will.

HKD 900,000 - 1,200,000

USD 130,000 - 170,000 / EUR 90,000 - 120,000

Sold: HKD 1,800,000

C. Four-body, "Empire", the back with a very finely painted on enamel scene of two ladies in despair as a young man goes off to serve his country, split pearl-set bezels, engine-turned band, bolt at 6 o'clock to activate the music, lever at 4 o'clock protruding from under the cuvette for music/silent. Hinged gold cuvette. D. Gold, champlevé radial Roman numerals, outer minute divisions, acanthus engraved decoration between the numerals, engine-turned center and outermost border. Blued steel serpentine hands. M. 44 mm., gilt brass, fixed going barrel, cylinder escapement, three-arm plain brass balance with blued steel flat balance spring, sur plateau musical movement with fixed barrel, 21 vibrating teeth, repeating on gongs activated by depressing the pendant. Watch A - case punched with the mark of Freres Oltramare, movement and case numbered. Watch B ? movement and case numbered. Diam. 53 mm.


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Image
Grading System
Grade:
Case: 2

Very good
Movement: 3*

Good

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

Very good

HANDS Original

Notes

Frères Oltramare Originally from Genova, the family settled in Geneva in the 17th century. Branches of the family were engaged in the watchmaking trade by the second half of the 18th century. The watchmaker Pierre Oltramare (1753-1827) had apprenticed under the "maître horloger" Jean Pattey of Passiery in 1768. The mark of F.O. is that of Louis-David-Benjamin and Jean Hughes. Both trained as "monteur de boites en or", makers of gold watch cases. They worked together in an informal association and later entered a maker's mark as the Frères Oltramare between 1810 and 1811. When Geneva was liberted from French occupation they re-registered the same mark on November 4th, 1815, their workshop was at rue de Coutance 82. The two brothers ended their partnership on March 31, 1826.