Exceptional Horological Sale Celebrat...

Hotel Noga Hilton, Geneva, Apr 24, 2004

LOT 542

Penelope J(ean) Baptiste Baillon a Paris, No. 1101, circa 1750. Fine 20K gold and painted on enamel watch.

CHF 4,000 - 6,000

EUR 2,500 - 3,800 / USD 3,100 - 4,700

Sold: CHF 8,625

C. Two-body, "Louis XV", by "FGA", back finely paintedon enamel with a scene depicting a soldier and hisbeloved, front bezel with four enamel cartouches painted withflowers.D. White enamel, radial Roman numerals, outer minutedivisions with five-minute Arabic markers, winding aperture at 3 o?clock. Gold "Louis XV" hands.M. 35 mm,hinged, frosted gilt full-plate with pentagonal baluster pillars, fusee and chain, verge escapement, brass balancewith flat balance spring, continental cock with endstone. Signed on the movement.Diam. 44 mm.


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Grading System
Grade: A

Good
Case: 3 - 54
Movement: 3*

Good

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

Notes

Jean Baptiste III Albert Baillon (d. 1772) Was made "Valet de Chambre ?Horloger Ordinaire de la Reine" in 1727, "Premier Valet de Chambre de la Reine" (before1748), then "Premier Valet de Chambre" and "Valet de Chambre-Horloger Ordinaire de la Dauphine Marie-Antoinette" in 1770. He was established in the Place Dauphine in 1738 and the rue Dauphine after 1751. Jean-Bap-tiste III Baillon was one of the most important clockmakers of the 18th century, in terms of the extent of his business, and an extremely wealthy man. Berthoud described his establishment as: "the finest and richest Clock Shop" and said that his house in Saint-Germain was "a kind of Factory. It is full of Workmen continually laboring for him? for he alone makes a large proportion of the Clocks and Watches (of Paris)." Joseph Quetin Received as master casemaker on May 5, 1742. Established Rue de la Huchette in 1743, and place du Marché Neuf in 1747. Retired to Châtillon-sur-Loire in 1772, giving up his mastership officially in 1775. He supplied cases to F. Baillon, J.B. Baillon, Chalon, Du Four, Frédéric Duval, J.J. Gudin, and Julien Le Roy. His work is in the Louvre, in the Musées royaux d?Art et d?Histoire in Brussels, and others. Literature: "Les Ouvriers du Temps", Jean-Dominique Augarde, Editions Antiquorum, Genève, 1996.