Important Watches, Collector's Wristw...

The Ritz-carlton Hotel, Jun 06, 2004

LOT 26

Swiss, in the English style, for the Chinese market, circa 1775. Fine and rare gilt pair-cased center-seconds clockwatch striking hours and quarters with à tact option.

HKD 30,000 - 37,000

EUR 3,200 - 4,000 / USD 3,800 - 4,800

Sold: HKD 23,000

C. Outer: two-body, band pierced for sound, polished back. Inner: two-body, ?bassine?, band pierced and engraved for sound, back engraved with rosette. D. White enamel, reverse numbered 16314 and signed with initials of the dialmaker, radial Roman numerals, outer minute/seconds divisions with fifteen-minute/seconds Arabic markers. Gold ?spade? hands. M. 40 mm, frosted gilt full-plate with cylindrical pillars, fusee and chain, cylinder escapement with brass escape wheel, steel balance with flat balance spring, single-footed cock, Neuchatel type striking system with hours and quarters on the same cam, striking/silent lever at 3 o?clock, à tact lever at 9.Diam. 64 mm.


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Grading System
Grade: A

Good
Case: 3 - 14
Movement: 3 - 33*
Dial: 3 - 01

Notes

Such movements were made in the La Chaux-de-Fonds area, and particularly in the Jaquet-Droz workshop. Subsequently, they were exported to England and finished by British watchmakers such as Daniel de Saint Leu, Travers, and others, and often exported to China. This watch features Swiss wheel work and cadrature, but it has a typical English cylinder balance staff with typically English brass plugs and banking pin mounted in the English style directly on the staff, as well as the characteristically English triangular cross-section of the balance arms.