Important Modern and Vintage Timepieces

Geneva, Mar 27, 2011

LOT 285

Diamond Ribbons Abram Dufours (Geneva). Made circa 1640. Exceptionally fine and equally rare, pre-balance spring, gold, enamel and diamond set lady?s pendant watch with single hand and integral ribbon jewel.

CHF 20,000 - 30,000

USD 20,000 - 30,000 / EUR 15,000 - 23,000

Sold: CHF 47,500

C. Two-body, ?bassine?, curved band, the body overlaid with deep green basse taille enamel and a band of chased and engraved gold flowers and leaves in relief, the center with a chased and engraved flower rosette, light blue counter enamel, cut hinged bezel set with 32 irregular cut diamonds in rub-over settings, ribbon form pendant mount set with 42 irregular cut diamonds in rub-over settings, the reverse enameled to match the case and with white and black pendant loop and small additional ribbons enamelled Ronde bosse. D. Gold with white enamel annular chapter ring with small radial Roman numerals and half-hour markers, the center with concentric rings of basse taille enamel to match the case, intersected by a chased and engraved gold ring with stiff-leaf decoration. Single steel hand. M. 28 mm., gilt brass full-plate, early-type divided Egyptian pillars, fusee with gut line, short four wheel train, steel two-arm balance without spring, small foliate pierced cock secured by a screw, worm and wheel regulator with blued steel foliate brackets and silver regulation dial. Movement signed. Diam. 33 mm.


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Grading System
Grade:
Case: 3-24

Good

Slightly chipped
Movement: 3*

Good

Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense
Dial: 3-24-01

Good

Slightly chipped

HANDS Original

Notes

This exceptionally rare and beautiful watch is the only known early example of a watch with an integrated diamond jewel made in Geneva, the ribbon cresting is a classic design from the 17th century that can be found in surviving jewelry in museum collections throughout the world. An almost exactly similar emerald-set pendant with ribbons and central rosette is in the collection of the Victoria & Albert Museum, London, acquisition No. M.138-1975. A noticeable feature of watch dials made during the 17th dentury is that the numerals on dials made in the first half of the 17th dentury had smaller numerals, as time progressed, the numerals increased in size. This combined with the type of movement and the shape of the case mean that the present watch can be dated to circa 1640. Geneva has, since the earliest times been not only a watchmaking center but famous for enameling. Designs for jeweled and enameled pieces would have been inspired by the fashions of the European courts
Abram (Abraham) Dufours Apprecticed to Antoine Arlaud in 1629 and master horloger by 1636. He worked with Jean Dunant in 1649, Jonas Robert and Bernard Dominice in 1652.
Basse taille enamel Translucent enamel over a low relief design in gold or silver, the term covers all enameling over a patterned metal ground but more specifically on hand-chased gold or silver. When the pattern is produced by engine turning, the term guilloche is generally employed.
Ronde bosse enamel The term applied to small sculpted metal forms coated with enamel. The forms may be in bas relief or fully in the round and the metal surface may be fully or partially enameled