Exceptional Horological Sale Celebrat...

Hotel Noga Hilton, Geneva, Apr 24, 2004

LOT 73

Attributed to Henri Grandjean, Locle, No. 2709, case by J. Ferrero, made for Marcks & Co Ltd, Bombay & Poona, circa 1883. Magnificent massive 18K gold and enamel ruby, emerald and diamond-set, hunting-cased, double-face, eight-day going double-dial, astronomical, keyless, minute-repeating watch with chronograph, 30-minute register, perpetual calendar, and phases and age of the moon.

CHF 80,000 - 100,000

EUR 50,000 - 76,000 / USD 62,000 - 94,000

Sold: CHF 113,500

C. Five-body, "bassine et filets", both covers in translucent green enamel over "sunburst" engine-turning, front with diamond- and ruby-set rosette in the center, border decorated with clusters of three rubies forming leaves, alternating with diamonds, outermost with translucent red enamel, back en suite, enamel dots for the stones.D. White enamel, radial Roman numerals, outer minute divisions, outermost seconds divided into fifths, subsidiary sunk up-and-down indicator at 12, subsidiary sunk seconds at 6. Blued steel "spade" hands. Back: white enamel, four subsidiary sunk dials for days of the week, date, months of the four year leap cycle and phases of the moon aperture with moon?s age on the border.M. 45 mm (20???), frosted gilt, 33 jewels, straight line calibrated lever escapement, cut-bimetallic compensation balance with Breguet palladium balance spring, double barrel, unidirectional winding, lever-set, repeating on gongs through activating slide in the band.Diam. 62 mm.


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Grading System
Grade:
Case: 2

Very good
Movement: 3*

Good

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

Notes

Property of a Royal family Watches by Henri Grandjean with two barrels, running for a week, are very rare. The case is made by J. Ferrero, a casemaker specializing in making richly decorated cases for the Indian market. Marcks & Co. Bombay & Poona. was the most prestigious luxury goods store in India. Its major supplier was Henri Grandjean, who made very high quality watches. The company specialized in "Grande Complication" watches, watches with perpetual calendar, independent seconds with diablotine, chronographs, repeaters, clockwatches, and tourbillons. Their watch cases were highly and ornately decorated with enamels, precious and semi-precious stones, in the manner that was so appreciated on the Indian market. Henry Grandjean. Along with Constant Girard (later Girard-Perregaux), Henry Grandjean, was one of the first to enter the South American Market. He was also, along with Ulysse Nardin, one of the first to establish a marine chronometer manufacturing business in Switzerland as well as being an initiator of the Neuchâtel Observatory. In 1851, at the first Universal Exposition in London, Grandjean received a First Class medal. His list of medals continues until 1868, the year in which the company won an award for its marine chronometers. In the meantime, they also received at least eight different awards, not including those from the Observatory of Neuchâtel. Henry died in 1879 but it appears that the company continued for the next twenty years until 1899, the year in which Rossel & Fils registered their name as successors, who were also most likely running the company during these 20 years. On January 9, 1908 Rossel & Fils transferred the title to Charles-Ferdinand Perret.