Exceptional Horological Sale Celebrat...

Hotel Noga Hilton, Geneva, Apr 24, 2004

LOT 217

Sermand, Geneva, circa 1640. Exceptional, gold, enamel and faceted rock crystal form watch designed as a cross.

CHF 40,000 - 60,000

EUR 25,000 - 38,000

C. Two-body, rock crystal front and back covers mounted in gold bezels with black champlevé enamel, decorated with gold scrolling pattern and white enamel spots, small enameled finial, tulip-shaped enameled pendant.D. Gold, cross-shaped, hinged, with radial Roman hour chapters in the center with half-hour dots, the arms decorated with stylized flowers in translucent red enamel for petals and translucent green for leaves over flinqué engraving. Blued-steel hand.M. Cross-shaped, 24 x 34 mm., gilt brass full plate, fusee and gut-line, short four-wheel train with five-leaf pinions, verge escapement, steel two-arm circular foliot, elongated cock pierced and engraved with flowers secured by a screw, ratchet wheel and click mainspring set-up.Signed on the movement. Dim. 55 x 29 mm.Published in the Sandberg book, pp. 372-373.


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Grading System
Case: 3 - 54
Movement: 3*

Good

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

Notes

The dial is reminiscent of an earlier period, and its decoration follows patterns presented in the 'Livre contenant passements de moresques' by Jacques Androuet du Cerceau, published in France in the 16th century. A watch made by Sermand in an oval case with rock crystal on both sides, previously in the collection of The King of Naples, is in the Louvre Museum, inv. OA 7035. Jaques Sermand (1595-1651) Son of Henry. Master watchmaker. Made agate and rock crystal form watches designed as a cross, a star, a tulip, or a skull. Signed a watch designed as a six-pointed star with fitted box. He taught 11 apprentices, among them: Robert Legrand in 1623; Pierre Reboul in 1627; Claude Reboul in 1628; Isaac Penard in1632; Jacques I Joly in 1635; Amy Colavin in 1639; Paul Fabbi in 1640; Alexandre Larrive in 1644; Pierre Dunant et Jean Dunant in 1645; Thomas Ravaud in 1648. His nephew, also named Jacques Sermand (1636 ? 1667), was a watchmaker as well. "Dictionnaire des Horlogers Genevois" by Osvaldo Patrizzi, Antiquorum Editions, Geneva, 1998: