Contemporary Limited Edition and Mode...

New York, Grand Havana Room, Jun 22, 2000

LOT 114

Set of four collector's timepieces including a gentleman's wristwatch with anthracite colored steel strap, a table clock, a gentleman's wristwatch with a leather strap, and a pocket watch, all designed by the famous artist, Yaacov Agam, for the Time Museum Collection of Movado.

USD 5,000 - 6,000

Sold: USD 10,925

The colored circles in the center of the dials are on two wafer-thin glass discs which rotate in such a way that once an hour, a semi-circle is formed and then a full circle. Two lines of dots indicate the time. The set is presented in a red box with each timepiece being protected by a Plexiglas compartment with a gilt base on which features the artist's signature. Limited edition of 100 examples.


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Grading System
Grade: AAA

Excellent

Case: 1

As new

Movement: 1*

As new

Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense

Dial: 1-01

As new

HANDS Original

Notes

Yaacov Agam Born in 1928, Yaacov Agam enrolled at Zurich's School of Applied Arts in 1949 where he studied with Johannes Itten. He settled in Paris in 1951 and began to create movable, variable pictures. His first Parisian exhibition in 1953 was followed a mere two years later by participation at a major international exhibition of kinetic and Op-Art where eighteen of Agam's works were displayed. Among the artist's earlier works are conceptualizations for a simultaneous theater in 1959, and a series of musical experiments in 1961. These experiments led him to the development of acoustic pictures which produced tones when touched. The Guggenheim Museum dedicated a special exhibition to Agam's work. In 1967, Agam began to create sculptural works and monumental mega-sculptures constructed primarily from stainless steel. Together with Vasarely and Albers, Yaacov Agam is counted among the founders and best-known exponents of kinetic and Op-art. (The term Op-art was coined around 1964 to denote artworks which create optical illusions.) Afterwards the artist created monumental works like "Double Metamorphosis II", which is on display at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. This internationally recognized artist's sculptural works and mega-sculptures were created in the years following 1967. In 1972, Agam was commisioned by Georges Pompidou to create artwork for the Elysée Palace. That artwork would include the palace's walls, a kinetic ceiling and movable, transparent, colored doors; it was finished in 1974 with the completion of a large knotted carpet that Agam had designed. Agam's watch designs for Movado mark the first time that this artist has worked in the field of time measurement. Movado Limited Collector's Editions This is the second time Movado will be offering a timepiece or a collection of timepieces for sale which are essentially works of fine art. Agam's Rainbow Collection is the second in a series of limited editions, collector's timepieces designed especially for Movado by world famous artists. Along with other products, the company is also the manufacturer of the famous single dot Museum Watch, designed by Nathan George Horwitt in 1947. This watch was selected for inclusion in the design collection at New York's Museum of Modern Art. Andy Warhol also designed watches for Movado.